We must break the systemic barriers that exclude people with disabilities within the climate justice movement.
There is a prevailing ableist assumption that disabled people cannot contribute to the climate change conversation. As a disability inclusive development advocate, I have several concerns with the climate justice protest. Even though 15% of the world’s population has some form of disabilities. The needs and experiences of people with disabilities have been ignored within the broader climate justice discourse. According to the UNESCAP , disabled people are two to four times more likely to die following a natural catastrophe than non-disabled people. Take the case of recent landslides in buduuda eastern Uganda. During the COP26 which took place in the United Kingdom, The Israeli Energy Minister, Karine Elharrar was unable to attend the conference because there was no wheelchair access, reflecting the inaccessibility of these events. I hope this year's COP27 which is taking place in Egypt has adjusted. Look at the daily journals. How many disabled people do you witness in photograp