Why Climate Change Hits Disabled People Harder

People with disabilities are among those most affected by climate change, yet they are often excluded from climate planning, design, and emergency response.

During London Climate Action Week, we spoke with researchers behind a UCL Grand Challenges-funded and AT2030 funded project exploring how disability-inclusive approaches can strengthen climate resilience and create fairer, more effective solutions.

Led by Iain McKinnon and Liza Griffin, the project brings together researchers, practitioners and disabled people to examine how assistive technology, inclusive design and cross-sector collaboration can shape climate action.

Key themes include:

• Why climate change disproportionately impacts people with disabilities
• How extreme weather can turn accessible environments into inaccessible ones
• The role of inclusive design in building climate resilience
• How assistive technology can support adaptation and independence
• Why co-design with disabled communities is essential for effective climate solutions
• How global perspectives, including from low- and middle-income countries, are shaping the research

Supported by UCL Grand Challenges and the AT2030 programme, the project ensures disabled people are not just considered in climate action, but actively involved in shaping it.

As the researchers emphasise: “Good design has to be inclusive.”

Because effective climate solutions cannot be built without the people most affected by them.