MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

THEME 3
survivor or their relatives are interviewed to collect information on casualties
and the circumstances of the incident. Witnesses to the incident are also
interviewed to crosscheck the information. Survivors are provided with
information on available services. Monthly reports on casualties are then
issued to facilitate the planning of actions. Such existing data collection
systems could be emulated or extended to victims of small arms and light
weapons. A recent report on assistance to victims of explosive remnants of
war (ERW) acknowledges that “[i]n the longer term, the prospect of turning
ERW and landmine casualty databases into more general disability or injury
databases would be beneficial to better understand the disability situation
and needs in a country.” 23
High proportions of physical disabilities due to gunshot injuries are also
a reality in Guatemala, still recovering from a long civil war and one of the
most violent countries in the region. The NGO Fundación Transiciones
provides medical and psycho-social care to Guatemalans living with disabilities.
It reports that some 20% of its ‘client’ base is disabled or traumatised
due to gunshot wounds – from gang violence, civil war, and accidents. And
support for long-term rehabilitation remains insufficient. 24
There are three important elements relevant for policy making for
people with disabilities: prevention, rehabilitation, and the equalisation of
opportunities. In the context of gun injury prevention, this means reducing
the likelihood of impairment or, when it has occurred, preventing
further negative physical, psychological and social consequences. Rehabilitation
refers to efforts to enable individuals to reach an optimal level of
functionality, providing them with tools to change their life. These can
include infrastructure and devices to compensate for the disability, or
facilitating (re)adjustment into communities and societies. Finally, the
equalisation of opportunities is the process by which society makes health
and social services, the environment, cultural life, leisure opportunities, and
educational and work opportunities equally available to all its members. 25
BOX 10 PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION: IDEAS IN ACTION
A significant percentage of gun injuries are spinal cord injuries, which can
result in paralysis that leaves survivors wheelchair-bound for life. 26 Along with
the considerable rehabilitation needs these injuries generate, there is also the
difficult challenge of reintegrating the injured back into their communities.
The barriers to successful reintegration can seem almost insurmountable
when a victim’s background includes a non-supportive home environment,
armed group or gang affiliations, a criminal record, and economic and educational
deficits.
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