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As our planet warms and extreme weather events become more frequent, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face unique and disproportionate risks. The devastating effect of hurricanes Helene and Milton illustrate this intensifying crisis, exposing the vulnerabilities of our communities.
While climate change impacts are pervasive, they are unevenly distributed. People with disabilities face disproportionate challenges in both adaptation and mitigation efforts. Research consistently shows that people with disabilities are at a higher risk of being affected by extreme weather events, rising temperatures and shifting environmental conditions due to pre-existing health conditions, socioeconomic disparities and barriers to accessing critical information and resources.
Despite the clear danger climate change poses to this demographic, existing policies rarely address the distinct needs, insights and vulnerabilities of the I/DD (intellectual/developmental disability) community. This oversight is not just a policy failure, it's a moral one...