Persons with disabilities are among the most affected by the effects of climate change. To ensure an inclusive and efficient response, they need to be an active part of the conversation around climate action. Last year, at COP26, persons with disabilities were not included in the official dialogues, and there were substantial accessibility issues to their participation. This year, we have observed improvements in the representation of persons with disabilities and in the accessibility of the COP. However, much remains to be done.
The plenaries
Compensation for communities that are experiencing the most catastrophic effects of climate change has been a defining topic at COP27, which culminated in world leaders committing to a historical “damage and loss fund”.
Unfortunately, the decision did not mention persons with disabilities and their specific requirements during extreme climate conditions.
Still constituting an informal group – yet to be officially recognised, the participation of the disability movement has been very limited in official environments. Persons with disabilities were not part of the programme at COP27. Positively, the programme dedicated particular attention to groups such as women, youth and indigenous people.
Also in another positive note, – the main decision and the action plan for climate empowerment made mention of persons with disabilities and mandated their inclusion, for the first time. This was the result of activism by the International Disability Alliance (IDA).
The COP27 events
As the latest reports presented by Human Rights Watch and CBM widely demonstrate, persons with disabilities do not only stand at a higher risk of death and serious injury during extreme events, but are also more vulnerable to impoverishment, isolation and psychological distress. Despite the lack of official representation during this year’s summit, numerous voices have made compelling arguments for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the climate response:
- Talking about response to loss and damage related to climate change, Setareki Macanawai, Director of the Pacific Disability Forum, stressed that persons with disabilities need to be fully engaged to guarantee that their specific requirements receive the right attention, policies and financial support;
- Elham Youssefian, from the International Disability Alliance, encouraged cooperation between organisations of persons with disabilities and climate actors. To reach that goal, we need for disability organisations, and trainings for climate actors on how to include persons with disabilities;
- Gerard Quinn, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, advocated for disability issues to go beyond social policy and to be connected directly to the grand challenges facing humanity, such as climate change.
The impact of extreme events on persons with disabilities is amplified by responses that do not consider the specific necessities of persons with disabilities. To make emergency response accessible and effective, early warning systems and humanitarian response processes should take an inclusive and rights-based approach and be developed in full consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.
Accessibility
Last year, we identified numerous accessibility issues including lack of or insufficient sign interpretation, captioning and wheelchair accessibility.
This year, while there have been evident attempts to provide accessible services, many problems persist. Nadia Hadad, who represented the European Disability Forum at the event, reported serious mobility issues for wheelchair users: “the day buses were great: they had ramps, the platform went down so you could access them very smoothly. But those buses don’t work at night, when [the event] is finished”. Accessing information about the venue and events, which largely depended on the summit’s official app, was also difficult: “the application was so small that I couldn’t push its buttons – and there was no option to use it on the computer”. Finally, the organisation is still lacking when it comes to accommodating the needs of deaf and hard of hearing persons. They could not follow properly due to the poor quality of the sound and the lack of close captioning during side events.
On a positive note, Nadia reported that participants were invited to share their impressions and suggestions on the accessibility of the venue and the event. The purpose is to create accessibility guidelines to be transmitted to the organisers of COP28. We are hopeful that next year’s organisation will make the event truly inclusive and accessible.