Persons with physical disabilities may face disproportionate barriers during disasters due to inaccessible evacuation routes, emergency communication, or shelter facilities.1,2 To minimize the impact of disasters on their lives and health, persons with physical disabilities need to prepare themselves (self-help), caregivers and the community need to provide adequate support (mutual help), and the government needs to create a resilient environment (public help).3 Several previous studies have demonstrated the importance of self-help and mutual help.4, 5, 6, 7, 8 For example, a Japanese study found a significant association between belonging to a neighborhood association, having peer communication, and self-assistance behaviors against disaster among persons with spinal cord injuries.8 On the other hand, little is known about public help. In particular, it is unclear what challenges local governments face in promoting disaster preparedness for persons with physical disabilities.

Japan is a disaster-prone country, and public help for persons with physical disabilities in disasters is still in the process of establishment. Since the occurrence of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which affected the lives of many persons with physical disabilities, the Japanese government has been attempting to standardize the disaster preparedness support offered by local governments to such individuals.9, 10, 11 In June 2013, the Basic Act on Disaster Countermeasures was partially amended, making it mandatory for all local governments to create a list of people who may require evacuation support during disasters.12 Subsequently, in 2021, the revised Basic Act on Disaster Countermeasures, which requires local governments to make efforts to formulate “individual evacuation plans” for all people experiencing difficulties in independent evacuation during disasters, such as those with physical disabilities, came into effect.12

Despite the enactment of such laws, persons with physical disabilities continue to face many difficulties when preparing for disasters.13,14 For example, some persons with physical disabilities may choose not to register with local governments or participate in evacuation plans due to concerns about privacy, accessibility, or trust in governmental systems.15 Furthermore, significant time is required to specify an appropriate welfare evacuation center to people who are unable to stay in regular evacuation centers.16 Moreover, local governments differ in the pace at which they establish disaster preparedness measures for persons with disabilities, and these differences are generally dependent on a region's finances, human resources, and geography.17

Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the status and concerns of different-sized local governments in Japan on disaster preparedness (designation of welfare evacuation centers and development of individual evacuation plans) for persons with physical disabilities.