Earthquake Response for Students with Different Severe Degrees of Disabilities: An Investigation of the Special Education Classes in Primary Schools in Taipei
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. School Emergency Preparedness for Children with Disabilities
- Level 1: Able to respond and evacuate on their own—they can follow instructions and have a sense of space.
- Level 2: Need some help with response and evacuation—they have no problems in movement, they can also follow the example of others; however, they will need more support and guidance in the evacuation and assembly phase.
- Level 3: Poor response and evacuation ability: they might have difficulties in movement, need support from teachers/carers. They have difficulties in understanding earthquake knowledge and cannot take appropriate action; they need one-to-one support from a teacher/carer.
- Level 4: No ability to respond and evacuate by themselves. These students rely on wheelchairs or other types of support equipment to move and to arrive at the assembly point. One to two teachers/carers are required for support.
1.2. Education for Children with Disabilities in Taipei
2. Data Collection and Analysis Methods
- Level 1: Able to respond and evacuate on their own—they can follow instructions and have a sense of space.
- Level 2: Need some help with response and evacuation—they have no problems in movement, they can also follow the example of others; however, they will need more support and guidance in the evacuation and assembly phase.
- Level 3: Poor response and evacuation ability: they might have difficulties in movement, need support from teachers/carers. They have difficulties in understanding earthquake knowledge and cannot take appropriate action; they need one-to-one support from a teacher/carer.
- Level 4: No ability to respond and evacuate by themselves. These students rely on wheelchairs or other types of support equipment to move and to arrive at the assembly point. One to two teachers/carers are required for support.
3. Discussion
3.1. Safe Learning Facilities—Challenges of Physical Environment
3.1.1. In Situ Response—Resilient Classroom Environment
3.1.2. Evacuation and Assembly Phases
3.2. School Disaster Management Plans: Earthquake Response
3.2.1. Earthquake In Situ Response: A Need to Prioritise the Teacher/Staff Support According to Student Needs
3.2.2. More Supporting Staff Required to Support Evacuation Phase
3.3. Earthquake Risk Reduction and Resilience Curriculum
3.3.1. Clarify Learning Outcomes for Students with Different Levels and Severity of Disabilities
3.3.2. Using Pre-Exercise Training to Help Students with Disabilities to Respond Better to Earthquake Risks
3.3.3. Enhancing Competences and Capacities through Training the Trainers
- Impact of the earthquake in the classrooms: location of safe areas and available protection devices and equipment.
- Correct earthquake preparedness and response measures: since students with different types and severity of disabilities require different support, teachers and support staff should identify individual needs and make relevant emergency plans for these students.
- Decision-making capacity: in case of lack of support staff and/or unexpected situation, for example students not cooperating, teachers and staff need to be adaptive and flexible in response.
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Types of Disabilities | Challenges for Responding to Emergencies | School Infrastructure Requirements | Type of Support Need for Evacuation |
---|---|---|---|
Developmental disabilities (intellectual disability) | Insufficient recognition to risk. Slow in physical movement and reaction. | Simple and easy memorable signals. | Emergency escape equipment installation. Support those who need help for evacuation. Effective information dissemination. |
Visual impairments | Unable to differentiate shapes of objects, narrow vision, low optical ability, not easy to cognise colours. Rely on white cane (sticks) and supportive tools. | Conspicuous signs. Audio signals. Reduce the level of floors. Enhanced accessible equipment. Increase space for using canes. Simplified evacuation route. | |
Hearing Impairments | Trouble hearing consonants, difficulty understand words, noise in the ear. Difficult to receive message/voice/signals. | Using visual signs and signals. Vibrant alarms. | Effective information dissemination. |
Physical | Upper or lower limb loss or disability, manual dexterity, and disability in coordination with different organs of the body. Rely on assistive devices of mobility aids (crutches, canes wheelchairs and artificial limbs) to obtain mobility. | Reduce the level of floors. Increase space for wheelchairs and canes. Simplified evacuation route. Provide supportive equipment. Easy to operate equipment. | Emergency escape equipment installation. Support those who need help for evacuation. Effective information dissemination. |
Multiple disabilities | Simultaneous occurrence of two or more disabling conditions that affect learning or other important life functions. | Simple and easy memorable signals. Reduce the level of floors. Increase space for wheelchairs and canes. Simplified evacuation route. Provide supportive equipment. Easy to operate equipment. | Emergency escape equipment installation. Support those who need help for evacuation. Effective information dissemination. |
Status of Special Education Class | Participant Schools | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Case A | Case B | Case C | Case D | |
Total number of the classes | 1.5 | 4 | 4 | 1.5 |
Total number of students with disabilities | 9 | 28 | 27 | 11 |
Number of students with level-1 disabilities | 2 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
Number of students with level-2 disabilities | 1 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
Number of students with level-3 disabilities | 4 | 4 | 12 | 3 |
Number of students with level-4 disabilities | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Number of teachers | 3 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
Number of teaching assistants | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Number of student assistants | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Teaching classroom floor | 1 * | 1 | 2 | 1 |
PE classroom floor | 1 | 1 | 2 | B1/1 |
Daily skill classroom floor | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Evacuation route | Straight-line distance to the assembly point. | Some students go via stairs; some evacuate via ramp. | Go through corridor, then downstairs to the assembly point. | 2 points gathering; meet up in the first refuge point then go to assembly point. |
Distance of the assembly point | Less than 50 m | More than 50 m | ||
Location of the assembly point | Fixed location | Non-fixed location | Fixed location | Fixed location |
Levels of Disability | Learning Outcomes for Earthquake Response |
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Chen, Y.-F.; Ma, K.-C.; Lee, M.-H.; Chuang, M.-H. Earthquake Response for Students with Different Severe Degrees of Disabilities: An Investigation of the Special Education Classes in Primary Schools in Taipei. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 8750. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148750
Chen Y-F, Ma K-C, Lee M-H, Chuang M-H. Earthquake Response for Students with Different Severe Degrees of Disabilities: An Investigation of the Special Education Classes in Primary Schools in Taipei. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(14):8750. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148750
Chicago/Turabian StyleChen, Yung-Fang, Kuo-Chen Ma, Mei-Hsiang Lee, and Mo-Hsiung Chuang. 2022. "Earthquake Response for Students with Different Severe Degrees of Disabilities: An Investigation of the Special Education Classes in Primary Schools in Taipei" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 14: 8750. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148750