Disability inclusion in climate action
Global Action Plan has released an educational resource for adults with disabilities.
Climate change will affect everyone. At GAP, we believe this means everyone needs to be included in climate action.
Around the world, people are experiencing consequences of climate change such as extreme weather, rising sea levels, and difficulty growing food. People with disabilities already find it difficult to meet their needs, and a changing climate will make their lives even more difficult. For example, if there’s a flood, wheelchair users might not be able to evacuate. But people with disabilities will also be hit harder by the ‘secondary impacts’ of climate change, including rising food prices, more expensive insurance, and straining health services.
We need to include people with disabilities in climate action so we make decisions that help everyone. The next time there’s a flood, that wheelchair user should have early access out of the danger zone. And if climate action involves changing our communities, we can make those changes more inclusive if people with disabilities are involved in decision-making.
When we were working with groups on this topic, we noticed there weren’t useful materials to engage disabled learners in climate change and climate action. So we made some ourselves.
This resource aims to support educators working with disabled learners in day centres, disabled persons rights organisations (DPROs), and adult education spaces. It aims to help the group understand climate change and become involved in climate action. There are lots of practical activities and discussions to help everyone understand and talk about the big questions like human rights, carbon emissions, social injustice and acting in solidarity. Links to podcasts, videos, and easy-read articles support learners with a range of additional needs to engage in the conversation.
All the activities use a global citizenship education (GCE) approach. This means that we focus on questions about fairness and human rights for people all around the world. We encourage people to hear other people’s perspectives and challenge their stereotypes, so we have included videos from many different people. We also want learners to create change in their own community, so we have included some ideas for action projects you can do with the group.
Download the ACT Disability Inclusion resource today!
This resource is funded by Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas development programme which supports partners working in some of the world’s poorest countries. Irish Aid also supports global citizenship education in Ireland to encourage learning and public engagement with global issues.
