Disabled people face greater climate change risks – and they can also help NZ adapt

Disabled New Zealanders face compounded climate risks that emergency systems remain unprepared for—during last month's Oamaru flooding, a woman couldn't safely evacuate her blind nephew and another family member using a wheelchair. Per The Conversation, existing inequities in employment, housing, and financial security leave disabled communities with fewer resources to prepare for and recover from climate impacts. Yet disabled people possess a crucial expertise: they've spent their lives adapting to an inaccessible world, building skills in anticipating risk and managing disruption. Initiatives in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin now center disabled leadership in climate adaptation, recognizing this perspective as essential as impacts intensify.

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