Disability and climate justice are important development themes, yet research on their intersection is lacking. More evidence that centres the lived experiences of people with disabilities is needed to help drive action and to ensure people with disabilities are more visible in climate policies and programmes and their priorities are emphasised.
Since 2018, IDS has collaborated with partners on multiple major research projects focused on disability inclusive development. IDS also has a rich history of working on exclusion relating to climate and the environment. We have developed an exciting collaboration involving researchers from the Resource Politics and Environmental Change cluster and the Participation cluster to explore the intersection of these themes.
A forthcoming review on disability and climate justice from the group highlights the scarcity of evidence available on the intersection of disability and climate justice. There is an urgent need for more evidence-driven studies that directly involve the participation of people with disabilities.
Bringing people together and developing partnerships
While our review highlighted the need for more research, it also demonstrated significant existing evidence and the emergence of the field of work involving a number of individuals and organisations. Working with partners to expand international research is central to the way IDS as an institute approaches development. With this participatory approach in mind, we organised a virtual roundtable meeting on 28th April 2025 to bring together researchers, NGO representatives, and funders to discuss the gaps in current knowledge and explore future research priorities. These discussions explored various aspects of the intersection of climate and disability inclusion, which are summarised below.
The disproportionate impact of climate change on people with disabilities
Climate change disproportionately affects people with disabilities, threatening their livelihoods, health, and mobility and creating additional barriers that many climate policies fail to address. The challenges faced by people with disabilities are not simply a reflection of their impairments but are deeply rooted in systemic inequalities.
A recent report published by the Bond Disability and Development Climate Working Group highlights that despite the profound effects of climate change on their lives, people with disabilities are often left out of climate action discussions and policy-making.
Both the available evidence and the experts we consulted agree that existing climate-focused policies tend to focus on technical solutions rather than addressing systemic inequalities. Without proper representation, people with disabilities struggle to have their needs met in disaster planning, adaptation strategies, and even everyday climate policies that dictate how communities prepare for environmental changes.
The missing voices in climate policy
Although nascent, research looking at the intersection of disability and climate change has grown over time. Much of the research to date has been in relation to disasters and disaster risk reduction (DRR), with a focus on extreme weather/disaster and emergency preparedness.
One of the most glaring issues in climate research is the lack of evidence-driven studies focusing on disability and climate justice. While there is a growing recognition that climate change disproportionately impacts disabled communities, much of the current literature remains speculative. Many studies highlight potential risks rather than presenting actual experiences from people living through these challenges. This disconnect makes it difficult to create policies that truly reflect the lived experiences of people with disabilities.
Addressing siloed approaches to climate and disability research
Additionally, climate and disability issues are frequently treated as separate entities. Researchers tend to focus on climate-related policies without considering their intersection with social justice and disability advocacy. This siloed approach reinforces gaps in knowledge, making it harder for climate policies to address the full spectrum of barriers and potential vulnerabilities people with disabilities face, and risk reinforcing or creating new barriers. There is an urgent need for research that includes first-hand experiences of people with disabilities, allowing policymakers to create inclusive solutions that go beyond technical or economic responses.
Recognising disability rights
Many climate justice efforts focus on human rights as a means of addressing inequality, but these approaches have limitations. While disability rights frameworks provide crucial protections, they often fail to challenge the deeper structural inequalities that make people with disabilities more vulnerable to climate change. Legal rights offer solutions to immediate problems, such as ensuring accessibility to emergency shelters or securing financial support, but they don’t necessarily confront the root causes of exclusion.
There is a need to shift the narrative away from viewing people with disabilities as passive victims of climate change. There is a need for future research to explore the ways in which disabled communities are actively responding to climate-related challenges, finding ways to adapt and survive despite the obstacles. Recognising their agency is crucial in creating meaningful change. Instead of focusing on vulnerability, climate justice movements must highlight resilience and the ways in which people with disabilities contribute to solutions.
Towards inclusive climate action
Our work so far has highlighted the need for greater representation and inclusivity in climate action and the need to challenge prevailing narratives that overlook the agency and resilience of disabled communities. A truly inclusive approach to climate justice must be co-produced with people with disabilities. Their knowledge, voices and experiences should drive the development of climate policies, ensuring that interventions align with their priorities. Instead of imposing one-size-fits-all solutions, policymakers must listen to disabled communities and include them in decision-making processes.
Coalition-building between climate justice advocates, disability rights organisations, researchers, and policymakers is essential to creating meaningful change. Cross-learning between different movements can help bridge gaps and ensure that climate policies account for the diverse needs of disabled individuals. Empowering disability-led organisations with knowledge and resources will allow them to advocate for their own priorities in climate policy discussions.
Additionally, more research must focus on how climate-focused interventions impact disabled communities. Are these initiatives improving resilience, or do they impose additional barriers and burdens? Understanding how current policies affect people with disabilities is key to ensuring that future responses are equitable and effective.
By embracing an intersectional approach to climate justice, the realities of people with disabilities can be recognised, and more adequately be included in policy. Breaking away from exclusionary practices and investing in research that captures lived experiences will help build a future where climate action is truly inclusive.
