Delivering information differently improves disaster resilience among vulnerable community members
Dripping with a genuine sense of achievement and pride, the winning photo entry from the 2024 Queensland Resilient Australia Awards sends a powerful message about communicating with people living with a disability.
With very good reason, the sheer joy seen in the faces of participants reflects immense personal satisfaction.
What these clients of Carinbundi – a registered NDIS support services provider in Bundaberg – have achieved is truly special.
They have just completed Carinbundi’s five-week Emergency and Disaster Management Preparedness Training Program, purpose-designed to help people with disabilities develop the confidence and capability to act and feel safe during an emergency.
The award-winning photo, taken at the conclusion of a program, shows participants with their certificates of completion and very own emergency kits.
Reaction to the photo has been unanimous, with people commenting on the obvious personal pride shown, the image capturing the wonderful achievements of everyone in attendance.
The photo underlines Carinbundi’s belief that resilience is understanding that everyone has different needs, and needs to receive information in different ways.
Learning can be challenging for people living with a disability, and in some cases those challenges are exacerbated by having to overcome fears resulting from life’s experiences.
People living with a disability are also among the most vulnerable in our community when disaster strikes.
They are twice as likely to be injured or be socially isolated during a disaster.
To address this, Carinbundi's program adopted a more personal and direct approach to communicating with people with disabilities, providing participants with the opportunity to consider, discuss and review their individual plans in a fun but informative way.
For program participant Amber, that involved overcoming a high degree of anxiety during storms, while fellow participant Ethan had experienced negative interactions with first responders.
The weekly workshops, based on person-centred support, featured representatives of local emergency services talking about disaster preparedness and safety, and helping clients discuss their own needs and plans.
Content was structured to consider everyone’s individual capabilities to present material and experiences in a positive and non-threatening way, and with peer support Carinbundi’s clients succeeded in building knowledge, confidence and resilience.
Amber, for example, applied the skills she learned to stay safe during a series of storms that hit the Bundaberg region shortly after she completed the program.
Amber has since embraced opportunities to share her knowledge gained with others, stepping up to deliver a presentation on her journey through Emergency and Disaster Readiness Training at a community forum hosted by Bundaberg Regional Council.
Ethan, meanwhile, enthusiastically engaged with the program each week and was supported to make personal connections with first responders who presented at the workshops.
He now feels safe and has increased his circle of trust to include police officers, firies, and other emergency responders.
Extending the positive outcomes of program, Burnett Respite Services, which manages Carinbundi, walked away with the People’s Choice Photography Award at both the 2024 Queensland Resilient Australia Awards and the Resilient Australia National Awards.
The awards promote and celebrate the organisations and initiatives driving greater community resilience across states and nation.
