Disabled people face greater climate change risks – and they can also help NZ adapt

New Zealand's disabled population faces disproportionate climate risks, yet their expertise in adaptation is often overlooked. In the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, disabled people struggled to access support, with one tetraplegic man spending the night in a police station. During flooding in Oamaru, a woman could not evacuate her blind nephew and wheelchair-bound friend due to floodwaters.

These extreme weather events highlight the need for disabled people to play a leading role in guiding New Zealand's climate adaptation efforts. Despite this, disabled people are frequently overlooked in climate policy, with only 29 of 123 central government climate policy documents mentioning disability and just seven discussing it in depth.

Even before considering climate change, many disabled people face barriers affecting their health, wellbeing, and financial security, leaving them with fewer resources to prepare for climate impacts. When discussing climate risks, the ongoing impact of extreme weather events was the greatest concern, with participants identifying barriers in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, including inaccessible evacuation centers and emergency services.

However, disabled people also bring valuable expertise in adapting to change, as they are already accustomed to navigating an inaccessible world. Examples include an accessible adaptation app and educational films in Auckland, as well as collaborations between the Disabled Person’s Assembly and emergency services in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington.

As climate impacts intensify, it is crucial to include disabled people as key stakeholders and agents for change in building a more accessible, climate-adapted future.