An international conference on
Rebuilding Sustainable Communities
with the Elderly and Disabled
People after Disasters
July 12-15, 2010
An event of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies
Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters
at the University of Massachusetts Boston, in collaboration with a number of partners and co-sponsors.
Conference Objectives
While many conferences have examined challenges that the elderly and people with disabilities face in
emergencies, no significant systematic post-disasters study has been undertaken with a focus on the
long-term, sustainable community recovery and rebuilding needs of this population.
The conference will, therefore, address the following main issues:
n The status of the elderly and disabled people in various communities after disasters and the continuing
need for superior research and appropriate data
n The role and input of the elderly and disabled people in post-disaster reconstruction planning and
implementation processes
n The roles of governments, institutions of higher education, the private sector, and non-governmental and
community-based organizations in post-disaster reconstruction
n The promotion of human dignity in the creation of sustainable environments that empower the elderly
and disabled people in the aftermath of disasters
n Integration of the elderly and disabled people into the larger community after disasters
n The promotion of the human rights of disabled people through full participation, equalization of
opportunity, and development
n The role of women with disabilities in the formulation and implementation of reconstruction
policies after disasters
n The participation of children with disabilities in the development and execution of
post-disaster plans and programs
The conference will seek to contribute to, and recommend, future policy formulation
and implementation processes for local, regional, and national governments, as well as
multilateral agencies and grass-roots organizations.
For disability-related accommodations, including dietary accommodations, please go to www.ada.umb.edu.

For further information please go to
www.rebuilding.umb.edu/rscepd or call 617.287.7116.