[8] When a person with a disability's support network is disrupted by a disaster, they may require additional specific forms of shelter and evacuation.
[8] Disaster risk reduction is focused on those without impairment in mental and emotional stability, stamina and cognition, mobility, sight, hearing, and speech.
[8] Similarly, disaster risk reduction assumes that people with disabilities are dependent on a caregiver, disregarding instances in which the person may not have help readily available.
[8] Disaster relief and risk policies are tailored towards able-bodied people,[8] despite the fact that 15% of the world's population is disabled, with prevalence continuing to increase.
[12] Despite this high percentage, children with disabilities are often excluded from disaster risk reduction initiatives, rendering them more susceptible to educational, physical, and psychological vulnerabilities.
[5] The exclusion of these individuals is caused in part by the lack of disability-related training provided to emergency planners and disaster relief personnel.
[12] Those with cognitive or intellectual disabilities tend to display an unawareness of social and practical risk, putting them at a higher chance of experiencing negative outcomes from a catastrophe.