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Globally, more than a billion people have a disability. Most live in poverty and 80 percent live in low- and middle-income countries, which are more susceptible to climate disasters. Because of this, and sometimes because they are also members of other minorities, disabled people are much more likely to experience the worst impacts of climate change. People with disabilities are two to four times more likely to be hurt or die in climate-related disasters such as heatwaves, wildfires and floods. During the 2017 flooding in rural New South Wales in Australia, those with disabilities were disproportionately impacted by unstable housing, displacement, and post-traumatic stress disorder. When northern Bangladesh faced unprecedented flooding in June 2022, many with disabilities did not receive sufficient support from the government to reach safety and access to shelter, health care, and food.

DOI: 10.54377/1082-347f openalex: W4391337198