The Effect of Situated Access on People with Disabilities: An Examination of Sheltering and Temporary Housing after the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

The 11 March 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal communities in three Japanese prefectures resulted in tremendous loss of life, loss of property, and community disruption. Yet research on the disaster pointed to differential impacts for people with disabilities compared to the rest of the population. Reconnaissance fieldwork took place in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures 3, 10, and 17 months after the disaster. Interviews and observations point to situated access as a contributor to how and to what extent people with disabilities (PWD) received resources and services. That is, the ability of evacuees to acquire and utilize information, material resources, or services was based both on the physical location of the individual or group (including shelter type to where they evacuated) and the social standpoint or circumstances of the individual or group within that physical location. We offer a close examination of the effect of situational access for people with disabilities in particular. Where limitations were present, they often led to additional disparities.