“Households are important — but communities keep people alive.
Youth leaders, especially community officers or university-based youth groups, play a critical role in:
✔ Making drills inclusive
- Provide sign language interpreters
- Use visual signals, flags, or lights
- Set up tactile guidance or rope lines
- Offer sensory-friendly waiting areas
- Ensure ramps and barrier-free paths
- Let people move at their own pace; no shouting
- Assign buddies based on choice, not assumption
✔ Conducting Inclusive Walkthroughs
Ask:
- Is the barangay hall reachable by wheelchair?
- Is the evacuation center compliant with local accessibility laws? For example, in the Philippines, is your evacuation center compliant with BP 344?
- Are there visual, tactile, and auditory alerts?
- Are pathways wide, stable, and well-lit?
- Are there accessible bathrooms?
- Is there a quiet or low-sensory area?
You don’t need to fix everything on Day 1.
But you can document barriers and advocate for improvement.”
✔ Boosting Community Awareness
You can help by:
- Holding short info sessions
- Creating simple hazard maps
- Using comics, infographics, or short videos
- Translating warnings into youth-friendly language
- Posting accessible guides online
- Teaching neighbors how to create Go-Bags
Young people are powerful mobilizers — you just need inclusive tools.”


