Disabled People Face Challenges after Kumamoto Quake

Kumamoto, Aug. 26 (Jiji Press)--Evacuee life poses various challenges for those with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable people following last month's massive earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto.

Local authorities face problems assessing the living situation of home evacuees. "Special consideration is necessary, given the difficulties of information...reaching home evacuees," a social worker said.

Keisuke Wakiyama, a 49-year-old evacuee with hearing loss living at an evacuation center in the city of Kumamoto, said he initially went without food because he was unaware that disaster relief goods were being handed out.

While information is currently posted on a bulletin board, many announcements are still made verbally, and not in written form. Wakiyama said, "I find the lack of a sign language interpreter is inconvenient."

Disaster welfare assistance teams, or DWATs, have been providing support in the affected areas since the day after the temblor, working to identify those who require special care and improve evacuation shelters' environment.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]