Disability and Climate Change
This Earth Day lets talk about how we can incorporate the needs of persons with disabilities into climate policy.
Before proceeding I would like to amplify and elevate the hard work being performed by the World Institute on Disability and individuals such as Marsha Saxton, Alex Ghenis, and Marcie Roth.
When we talk about the risks of climate change, typically what comes to mind is the threat posed by sea-level rise to existing infrastructure, devastating storms overwhelming the defenses of coastal cities, and wildfires in the American West and Australia. We talk about the physical danger posed by climate change to infrastructure and people. There are two closely interwoven conversations in the discussion around climate change: reducing greenhouse gases and adaptation to a warmer world. Both of these discussions inevitably interface with the needs of historically marginalized groups. Among these groups, persons with disabilities will be impacted by the decisions we make in ways we may not expect. Thus, we must be inclusive of addressing the needs of persons with disabilities as we combat climate change is crucial to a just and equitable future. Climate change will disproportionately impact individuals with disabilities. Below I will discuss some of the positive steps forward that I believe the federal and state governments could take to ensure that the needs of…
