Disaster Challenges for Individuals With Special Needs and Their Parents: the Case of the 2011 Van Earthquake

Abstract

Disasters are difficult processes in which social norms are suspended and daily life is deeply split. Especially earthquakes are much more shocking and can make the social system unable to function in a short time. In this process, disaster victims should be evacuated without injury, move to emergency gathering areas and hold on to life in limited conditions far from their homes. Disaster periods, which force every segment of society, affect disabled people and their families much more deeply, especially those who need special needs. These periods are much more fragile for individuals with a disability that cannot meet their own needs and for the parents responsible for them. This research was conducted to reveal just such a process. It has been tried to reveal the difficulties experienced by parents responsible for disabled people who need special needs due to their mental insufficiency in emergency acute processes. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with 10 mothers with mentally disabled children with special needs who were exposed to the 2011 Van Earthquakes. The findings reveal that these families are victims of their disadvantaged situations. Families who faced significant difficulties during the evacuation process could not meet their basic needs for a long time. These families, whose vulnerability has been found to increase much more due to their economic inadequacies, have felt helpless in many issues. Families who stated that they could not get enough support for evacuation, shelter and meeting basic needs experienced difficulties in accessing public services. Families who stated that the housing conditions (container space) in the acute emergency process were not suitable for individuals with special needs stated that they were excluded from time to time. © 2023, Ankara University. All rights reserved.