This literature review examined spinal cord injury survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The effects of an earthquake in an urban area can be devastating. Often much is destroyed, including significant materials and human public health infrastructures, communication and transportation networks, as well as medical facilities. There are also vast individual risk factors to be conscious of, including pre-existing disabilities, extremes of age, chronic illness, and lack of mobility. 

Proper care and knowledge regarding spinal cord injuries is critical in any emergency response, such as an earthquake; on-scene spinal immobilization, intravenous access and maintenance of cervical alignment are critical. In addition, rapid referral to a multidisciplinary care facility with appropriate rehabilitation services is essential.  

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Medical rehabilitation of spinal cord injury following earthquakes

Handicap International began working in the Tibet Autonomous Region in 2000, with a goal for its projects to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities. In mid-2015, the organization withdrew from the region, entrusting the projects to its former local partner, the Tibet Disabled Persons' Federation.

Twenty-year-old Tibetan Drolma Lazom was born with Kashin Beck Disease, a chronic, disabling bone disease common in Tibet Autonomous Region and other parts of southwestern China. In the blog below, Lazom describes the struggles of growing up with a disability in Tibet, and how, after joining a support group sponsored by Handicap international, she overcame her low self-esteem to become an advocate for the disabled. Handicap international, which has been working in China for 12 years, supports, among others, community-based rehabilitation in Tibet Region as well as disabled people’s organizations. 

In China, Humanity & Inclusion continues to run programs under the operating name "Handicap International." 

Humanity & Inclusion in China

Humanity & Inclusion has been working in China since 2000, promoting the social inclusion of people with disabilities.

China is the world’s most populated country with a population of 1.4 billion people. The country's rapid development has been accompanied by the emergence of new disparities, including growing inequality between the poor and wealthy regions.

According to the latest national disability survey, the mean annual income of people with disabilities in China is more than 50% below the national average. Only one-third of people with disabilities requiring rehabilitation services have access to this care, and only one-fifth of people who need mobility aids–such as artificial limbs, wheelchairs, braces, etc.–have access to them. Schools and workplaces are also difficult to access for people with disabilities. 

China is also prone to major natural disasters, and its provinces are frequently affected by major earthquakes and widespread flooding. 

Areas of Intervention

• Inclusion
• Inclusive education
• Mental health and psychosocial support
• Protection and advocacy

Humanity & Inclusion's 13-member team works alongside government and civil society partners to provide direct support to people living in rural areas where residents experience extreme poverty, and to promote inclusive policy development. 

Today the program maintains its focus on inclusive education and inclusive poverty reduction, while adding new interventions in the areas of inclusive employment and community-based mental health rehabilitation. Priority cross-cutting issues for Humanity & Inclusion in China include strengthening the capacities of local civil society, supporting transition from institutional services models to community-based and personalized service models, promoting equity of all ages, genders and kinds of disability in the national disability inclusive development dialogue.   

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Our Past Work

Humanity & Inclusion has been in China since 2000, promoting a culture of dignity, access, and inclusion for ALL people with disabilities. Over time our work has transformed to meet the dynamic needs of the communities we serve.

Read on to learn more about our past work in China and consider investing in our future. 

Natural Disaster Relief 

When major natural disasters such as earthquakes or extensive flooding occur in China, Humanity & Inclusion offers emergency relief assistance to victims. The organization's first  emergency relief efforts in China were in the provinces of Guangxi, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia between 1998 and 2000 and also in Yunnan in August 2014.

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Handicap International is responding to the needs of injured people in Ya'an, a city in China's Sichuan province, after a deadly April 20th earthquake.