1.2 billion people make up the global population of youth, or persons between the ages of 15 and 24. An average of 1.9% of youth have a disability, and there are roughly 22.8 million youth with disabilities. This population is one of the most vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis, but is also one of the least visible. Many compounding risks of exacerbated inequalities create a challenge of survival and justice. These factors vary from country to country, but they are typically worsened in developing countries with limited resources or support for youth with disabilities. Due to the climate crisis, youth with disabilities face:
- exclusion from emergency preparedness planning;
- limited access to early warning and evacuation systems;
- loss of assistive and medical devices;
- reduced access to caregivers an medical assistance;
- heightened water and food insecurities;
- worsening poverty;
- greater psychological burden than previous generations.
Youth with disabilities should be given opportunities to take leadership over climate action work that will directly affect them. When their voices are heard and uplifted, they can act as activists, innovators, negotiators, and implementers on the same level of youth without disabilities. It is crucial that youth with disabilities are not treated solely as victims or survivors of climate change but are given the agency to act. In addition, decisions that are made now will impact the inclusion of the next generations of youth for years in the future. Youth with disabilities, like all young people, should have a stake in decision making and should be able to meaningfully and actively participate. Youth with disabilities have lived experience of the effects of climate change. When given opportunities to lead, they can help create climate solutions that are unique to their needs and experiences.
You can find further information and recommendations in the paper co-written by the Youth Negotiators Academy: