Disability Resources

Intro

People with disabilities (PWDs) are around 20% of the global population, representing well over 1 billion people. Already, people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States. But this community has been oppressed and sidelined for too long, including being left out of efforts at climate mitigation and adaptation. It’s a broad group: disability encompasses physical, psychological, emotional, sensory, chronic health, and other categories, with widespread diversity in each of those groups. As is the case in other groups, no two people with disabilities’ experiences are the same.

Disability can be viewed through a couple perspectives. The medical model says that being able-bodied is normal and any disability is due to a person’s body or mind. In that model, it’s okay to have an inaccessible world, disability should be medically cured, and any “accommodations” are simply substituting for when there is no “cure.” On the other hand, there is the social model, which says that disability is caused by barriers in society – and having a universally-accessible world would get rid of those disabling barriers. Just think of somebody in a wheelchair in a two-story building. The medical model says that a building with only stairs is fine, and a person using a wheelchair is disabled because they can’t walk up stairs. The social model, on the other hand, says that the person is disabled by the fact that there isn’t an elevator – and if the building just had an elevator, the “disability” would essentially go away.

The current world is not fully accessible, so there are plenty of disabling barriers when we look at the social model. And because the world isn’t fully accessible, we need to keep the medical model in mind for places where accommodations don’t exist. This especially matters for climate change. For example, some disabilities raise the risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke, while PWDs on average have fewer resources and, accordingly, less access to air-conditioning; thus, they face dangers through the medical model AND the social model. We must address both.

The following resources and organizations give an intro to disability rights. There are also categories relevant to climate change, such as disaster readiness, financial literacy and transportation.

International

United States

  • US Department of Justice ADA website – information from the federal government on legal protections in the United States, including in disasters.
  • National Council on Independent Living – an advocacy organization for independent living; NCIL also coordinates with and supports America’s hundreds of Independent Living Centers
  • Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund – a leading national civil rights law and policy center, based in California.
  • Disability Rights Advocates – a nonprofit legal advocacy firm dedicated to advancing equal rights for people with all types of disabilities nationwide.
  • National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) – working on behalf of the Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) and Client Assistance Programs (CAPs), the nation’s largest providers of legal advocacy services for people with disabilities.
  • Olmstead Rights – this website follows the landmark Olmstead Supreme Court decision that supports people with disabilities’ independence and ability to live in their own home. Sections include self-advocacy materials, podcasts, and even a list of disability resources in each state.

Disaster Focused

  • The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies – US disability-led organization focused on equal access, disability rights and full inclusion before, during and after disasters and emergencies.
  • REAADI for Disasters Act & DRMA – a website with important info on two pieces of pending legislation: the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion (REAADI) Act and the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRMA).

California-Based

Accessible Climate Strategies is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and we are always excited to work on projects in the Golden State. California-focused organizations and government entities can be found here: