When climate-related hazards rise, so do barriers for people with disabilities

A study published in Global Environmental Change, based on 72 interviews conducted in Kerala, India between 2023 and 2024, found that people with disabilities face compounded risks during climate disasters through inaccessible evacuation routes, sound-only warnings, and shelters lacking accessible toilets or space for assistive devices. Lead author Katherine Lofts of McGill University said existing policies do not automatically remove these barriers once a disaster actually hits.

A parallel 2025 study from Sierra Leone by the NGO Sightsavers found similar patterns among young people with disabilities, including reduced ability to evacuate and heightened health risks such as increased seizures and skin damage from extreme heat among people with albinism. Brima Abdulai Sheriff of Sierra Leone's National Commission for Persons with Disability said the country's emergency warning systems remain 'not inclusive' and called for testing them with the people who will actually rely on them before disasters strike.

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