Disability Climate Justice
Welcome reader!
Welcome to Disability Climate Justice, a site aiming to connect research, resources, and discussions on disability and climate, while also recognizing where these discussions fall short.
This site focuses on the intersection of many fights for justice: disability, environmental, racial, gender, and climate justice, to name a few. This work is dynamic and complex, and while this website does not promise to encompass all the available information regarding these topics, we hope to give you (the reader) resources and avenues to pursue information to become more informed, aware, and empowered.
This website looks specifically at the intersection between disability justice and climate justice, recognizing the interconnection between disability and climate effects. The website is meant to show a wide range of perspectives and experiences from people with various disabilities, especially looking at how other aspects of their identities, such as race, gender, and nationality, impact these experiences. The website is created for a general audience of internet users, incorporating the work of Dr. Molly King as well as other research and non-academic sources to discuss the complex intersectional relationship between disability and climate.
Why Disability Climate Justice?
84%
of individuals with disabilities worldwide reported NOT having a personal preparedness plan worldwide
18 million
people are expected to be displaced by climate events by
2050
People with psychosocial disabilities, or mental health conditions, face a
2-3 times
higher risk of dying from heat.
Disability is the largest minority identity in the United States and globally. Disability can affect anyone at any time. Despite its prevalence, the intersection between disability and climate remains under-researched.
This means that the voices and needs of disabled people are often not prioritized in environmental justice movements and policies.
People with disabilities bring an expertise and essential perspective when it comes to emergency preparation, mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and activism.
Chronological flow of the website
The webpages follow a flow that builds on each other, but it is not necessary that the site be read in order
At the top of each page, you will find the menu.
Click the down arrow to explore the subsections of each header: Home, (In)justice, Consequences, Solutions, and About
1.
The first section of the website (after the Home page), is (In)justice, which defines the injustices behind the social issues discussed in this website and identifies key components of the climate justice, environmental justice, and disability justice movements.
The subpages of (In)justice are:
2.
The second section of the website is Consequences, which goes into depth on the results of the aforementioned injustices, as well as exploring the individual vs. societal impacts and responsibilities.
The subpages of Consequences are:
3.
The final section is called Solutions. Rather than intending to solve the social injustices discussed throughout this website through single solutions, it explores different perspectives and avenues on how to create change.
The subpages of Solutions are:
4.
Finally, explore the About section, learning more about the researchers and the research behind this website.
Quotes from "Disability Climate Justice" Interviews and outside sources
Throughout the site, there are quotes pulled out that highlight important topics within each page.
Some come out of the interviews conducted, and they will be accompanied by text saying "Quote from 'Disability Climate Justice' Interviews."
Other quotes come from outside sources and will reference and link to the author.
The following quote comes from an article written by Molly King and Maria Gregg:
“A climate justice approach to these challenges seeks to address these vulnerabilities through more equitable distribution of power and resources in planning for inevitable hardship and disaster. By centering the experiences of people with disabilities in understanding vulnerabilities to climate change, we expand the opportunities for many to learn from the resilience of this population (Görgens & Ziervogel, 2019). In doing so, scholars and policymakers can contribute by changing power structures to meaningfully involve people with disabilities without placing heavy time and resource burdens on them.” - Molly King and Maria Gregg, 2021
These drop-down sections at the bottom of each page briefly explain the sources referenced throughout the page and provide links for you to learn more. Click the down arrow on the right to expand the section.
Sources Used & Suggested Reading
The world must act on unacceptable failures to protect persons with disabilities from disasters - United Nations (UN) Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), 2023. A compilation of survey data from the 2023 Global Survey on Persons with Disabilities and Disasters as a follow-up to the 2013 Global Survey analyzing communication, preparedness, risk, leadership, and decision-making.
How disability and the climate crisis converge - International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 2022. This article explores ways that climate heightens vulnerability, especially amongst persons with disabilities.
Leave No One Behind: People with Disabilities and Older People in Climate-Related Disasters - Human Rights Watch, 2022. A report compiling data from over 100 interviews that looks at risk factors associated with disability and age within various types of disasters.