Although persons with disabilities constitute 15% of the world’s population, they have been largely invisible to policymakers, experts, and activists working in the field of climate change. As a result, initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, such as the development of mass transit systems or bans on single-use plastics, are often inaccessible to persons with disabilities and further reinforce social inequities. Moreover, climate adaptation and disaster risk readiness efforts generally fail to strengthen the capacity of persons with disabilities to cope with climate impacts, resulting in disproportionate rates of mortality and morbidity. These challenges are felt most acutely by the disability community in developing countries as well as by groups that are affected by intersecting forms of systemic discrimination, such as women, minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and children with disabilities.
 
As the world moves forward with measures to tackle the climate crisis, it is critical that these efforts fully and effectively include and empower persons with disabilities. In this virtual event, persons with disabilities from all over the world will discuss the challenges and opportunities for developing disability-inclusive responses to the climate crisis. Among other topics, they will address the disproportionate ways in which climate change harms disabled persons; the lessons learned with disability inclusion in other fields that could apply to climate change; the role of disability rights in responding to climate change; and the contributions of the disability community to resolving the climate crisis. This event will also mark the launch of the Disability-Inclusive Climate Action research programme established at McGill University.
 

Chair: Yolanda Muñoz, McGill University

Speakers:

Pratima Gurung, Indigenous Persons with Disabilities Global Network & Nepal Indigenous Disabled Association;

Carlos Kaiser, ONG Inclusiva;

Sébastien Jodoin, McGill University;
 
Setareki Macanawai, Pacific Disability Forum;
 
Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability;

Stefan Trömel, International Labour Organization;

Elham Youssafian, International Disability Alliance.


This event is organized by the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism and the Canada Research Chair in Human Rights and the Environment in collaboration with the International Disability Alliance; Pacific Disability Forum; ONG Inclusiva; Indigenous Persons with Disabilities Global Network; National Indigenous Disabled Women Association, Nepal; International Labour Organization; and the World Institute on Disability.

The support of the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative for this event is gratefully acknowledged.