Survey on Impact of Climate Change on Persons with Disabilities: Results and Analysis

Designed and Conducted by: Abhishek Kumar, NCPEDP — Javed Abidi Fellow on Disability

Region of Survey: Pan India

Period of Survey: 15th December 2021 to 15th April 2022

Introduction

This survey was part of an endeavour under the NCPEDP — Javed Abidi Fellowship on Disability to gather primary data to gauge awareness about the impact of climate change on the lives of persons with disabilities.

This survey did not require and did not record any personal information except email address, which will not be shared with anyone without the prior informed consent of the participants. Right to Privacy will be respected in letter and spirit.

The questionnaire was shared among a diverse set of people from across the country. The online survey was shared through mails, WhatsApp messages, WhatsApp groups, Twitter, LinkedIn and some other modes of communication. The majority of respondents who responded to the questionnaire are people with disabilities.

The online survey was first circulated on 15 December 2021 and the last recorded response for this analysis was received on 15 April 2022. This survey received fifty responses from a group of around a thousand people with whom the survey questionnaire was shared. This article analyses those fifty responses to understand and make sense of the responses received.

The analysis of this survey contains three parts, beginning with the introduction that builds the context of the whole survey. Thereafter, the questions are produced verbatim along with comments explaining the purpose of asking that question and desired outcome. Tables, charts and graphs highlighting the responses in numbers and statistics follow, along with comments providing the meanings of the answers. And lastly, the concluding remarks decipher the overall picture that can be drawn based on these responses.

Questionnaire and Analysis

Questionnaire of the Survey

I. Email address

This question was asked to ensure the authenticity of the respondents and avoid multiple responses from the same respondent. However, the privacy of all the respondents has been maintained and no personal information shared by them has been shared further with anyone without the prior and informed consent of the respondent itself.

II. Are you a Person with Disabilities?

This question was asked to ascertain the composition of respondents as the nature of the answers or replies hugely depends upon the socio-economic background of the individual.

Most of the respondents were people with disabilities, which reflects the composition of people among whom the survey was mainly conducted to gauge the understanding within the disability community regarding the theme of advocacy.

III. If yes, please mention the disability/disabilities you have.

This question was to gauge the nature of the disability of the respondent, in case, the respondent is a person with disabilities as that would be determine the reply on other questions, as someone with MS and IIH would have different impact on their experience based on different disasters and extreme climatic and weather conditions like cyclones and heatwaves.

The good part of the response was that respondents belong to very different forms of disabilities so the survey doesn’t get narratives/perspectives from any one class of disabilities and thus, the survey results provides a broader sense of reality.

IV. If no, do you have/know any family member / friend / colleague et al who is a Person with Disabilities?

This question was primarily aimed to understand the context of the reply of the respondents who are not persons with disabilities. As the response would significantly depend upon whether the respondent is a person with disability or knows someone in close proximity who is a person with disabilities in comparison to someone who are totally new to this aspect.

Majority of the respondents who are not persons with disabilities have/know someone from their family, friends, colleagues, et al who are persons with disabilities, thus, they would have probably know and understands the struggle and experiences of the persons with disabilities bit better than the respondents who are neither persons with disabilities nor knows anyone around them who are persons with disabilities. This exposure or lack of it would definitely determines what’s the responses could be as someone who has been a care-giver would have better sense of realization than ones who haven’t been in close touch with the persons with disabilities.

V. Do you think Climate Change have any impact on life of Person with Disabilities?

VI. If yes, on the scale of 1–5, what is the extent of impact do you think Climate Change has on the life of Person with Disabilities?

VII. If you are a Person with Disabilities, on a scale of 1–5, where do you position yourself as someone having been impacted by Climate Change?

VIII. What according to you are the impacts of Climate Change on the life of Person with Disabilities?

This descriptive question was asked to find out the basic thought that the respondent has about the climate change and its impact on people with disabilities. The majority of the respondent agreed that climate change does have a negative impact of people with disabilities but not all provided a descriptive answer explaining the same. Although there was also one respondent who thought climate change doesn’t impact people with disabilities as “I don’t find enough facts to conclude that climate change has impact on person with disabilities. At least there is no direct impact unlike other living creatures like birds, animals etc.”

The recorded answers covered impacts pertaining to breathing, mood swings, poor health, poverty, unemployment, and lower education. Further, how it leads to poor health and rise in expenditure to avail health services. It impacts their health as most of the children in particular fall ill. Further, respondents also highlighted the points about “effect on health”, “climate change causing diseases”, “different weather resulting in health issues”, “environment, social and economic conditions”, “worsen the experiences”

One respondent extensively talked about “Climate Change and its resultant effects affect the livelihoods, eating habits, flora fauna, tree and plant cover in a big way. If water bodies start drying up, it also impacts the areas surrounding it. If it poses a problem for persons with normal abilities, it creates a stronger negative impact on PwDs. With limited accessibility options PwDs find it increasingly difficult to deal with the situations and as a result become more excluded from leading a normal life.” Another respondent talked about “many people with disabilities experience high rates of social risk factors that contribute to poor health, such as poverty, unemployment, and lower education.”

One respondent gave an important insight that “Climate change is likely to act as a double whammy on persons with disabilities. A rapid change in ecosystem might impact their capabilities to live their lives properly. The climate change has forced us to change, so considering this inevitable change along with increasing awareness for their rights might be an opportunity to bring a change that is inclusive. Persons from poor economic background will be particularly affected by it.”

People with disabilities are at more risk of the adverse impacts of climate change — including threats to their health, food security, water, sanitation, and livelihoods.

This question recorded thirty-five responses on this descriptive questions. The recorded answers in verbatim are as follows:

1. Yes
2. Mood swings
3. Climate Change and its resultant effects affect the livelihoods, eating habits , flora fauna, tree and plant cover in a big way. If water bodies start drying up, it also impacts the areas surrounding it. If it poses a problem for persons with normal abilities, it creates a stronger negative impact on PwDs. With limited accessibility options PwDs find it increasingly difficult to deal with the situations and as a result become more excluded from leading a normal life.
4. I don’t find enough facts to conclude that climate change has impact on person with disabilities. At least there is no direct impact unlike other living creatures like birds, animals etc.
5. Poor health, poverty, unemployment and lower education
6. Poor health & rise in expenditure to avail health services
7. Many people with disabilities experience high rates of social risk factors that contribute to poor health, such as poverty, unemployment, and lower education.
8. Worsen the experiences
9. It impacts their health as most of the children in particular fall ill
10. In breathing
11. Climate change is likely to act as a double whammy on persons with disabilities. A rapid change in ecosystem might impact their capabilities to live their lives properly. The climate change has forced us to change, so considering this inevitable change along with increasing awareness for their rights might be an opportunity to bring a change that is inclusive. Persons from poor economic background will be particularly affected by it.
12. People with disabilities are at more risk of the adverse impacts of climate change — including threats to their health, food security, water, sanitation, and livelihoods.
13. Can’t adjust the new climate
14. Affects the capability of the Person with Disabilities to mitigate and adapt with Climate Change
15. Climate change has different impact on different disability
16. Cold Climate can stiffen muscles
17. Adjustment needs in daily routine
18. All the domains of life
19. Life become very difficult to survive
20. As being vulnerable, prone to catch infections with low immunity due to chronic conditions, it is difficult to survive on basic needs of life like water, food and sanitation during the climate change.
21. Problem in orientation
22. Difficulties with transport during flooding events. Exposure to heat/heavy rain etc. while transiting through the open environment outside of cover.
23. Extreme climate, pollution affecting the senses
24. Environment for climate change on earth
25. Climate change has immense impact on the health of the person. Body system gets affected also sometimes leads to further deterioration in the condition.
26. Effect on health
27. Kai prakar ki bimari ho sakti h (leads to many forms of diseases)
28. Different weather
29. Don’t know any specifics
30. Health issues
31. Environment, social and economic
32. Increase in temperatures affect certain disabilities like Autism creating discomfort.
33. Climate change indirectly impacts rescue operations due to affects of flooding or any other natural disasters
34. Change in climatic conditions also increases the chances of exposure of more people to disabilities
35. Not Available
36. Increase in temperatures affect certain disabilities like Autism creating discomfort. climate change indirectly impacts rescue operations due to affects of flooding or any other natural disasters change in climatic conditions also increases the chances of exposure of more people to disabilities.

IX. If you are a Person with Disabilities, do you have any experience to share about any impact of Climate Change in your life?

This question recorded twenty-six descriptive responses on this questions. The recorded answers in verbatim are as follows:

1. No
2. As a person with MS, I experience many invisible issues such as fatigue, urinary incontinence etc. but in summers, my symptoms flair up and fatigue levels are high during winters.
3. Poverty, unemployment 3 years ago
4. Too much of heat and sweat hurts eyes
5. Yes
6. No
7. It impacts on my daily basis circle of duties.
8. Air Pollution causing eye irritation and other problems
9. None yet
10. I am facing my own life
11. Due to cold climate I get stiffened muscles prompting me to use relaxing techniques like Yoga or Physical Exercises. I get even skin dryness which can disturb my lying down posture.
12. The weather, especially in winters, has become inexplicably cold which has made it difficult for me to function as well as I could. My limbs go numb and don’t work in extreme cold conditions.
13. Not Available
14. I can’t able to move from one place to other during heavy rain . In winter season, my body are not working.
15. Not Available
16. Air quality day by day decreasing due to pollution
17. Yes, I live with a rare neurological condition called as Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in which the CSF secretion increases with no reason and creates high pressure in the brain which further results in the increase of Symptoms like headache, backache, nausea, tinnitus, Visual disturbances, fatigue, etc.
18. Even though there’s no clear evidence in increasing Intracranial pressure (ICP) the cyclones, unpredictable climate changes, change in altitudes,etc create an impact in my life.
19. Day to day problems
20. None
21. I generally face problem with the sudden climate change an it usually affects by stomach, leads to either dehydration or her infections with further worsens the situation.
22. Bimari ho sakti h (Possibility of diseases)
23. Not really. But change in climate affect all.
24. I don’t know about its impact much.
25. Now, we are facing so many changes in practical life. Heavy rain, high temperature, pollution etc.
26. Nothing specific at the moment

X. Do you think the ‘Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016’ is adequate to counter the impact of Climate Change on the lives of Person with Disabilities?

XI. Are you aware about the ‘National Disaster Management Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, 2019’?

The question was asked in order to gauge awareness about the concept of disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction and the guidelines governing them in India.

Conclusion

To begin with, the biggest issue while carrying out this survey despite being conducted through online mode and a pretty short one was to

In the preliminary primary research, the finding and observation was that awareness about the Climate Change is evident but not about the ‘Era of Consequences’ that it has begun and manner in which Climate Change — a threat multiplier, is unfolding — a huge humanitarian crisis as well as threat to flora and fauna. Further, there seems to be lack of awareness about relevant laws and policies even among the people with disabilities that concerns them like the Disability-inclusive Disaster risk Reduction Guidelines (2019).

The intersectionality between Climate Change and Disability has been recognized as an issue of great concern in the last decade and so. However, the conversation still revolves around either being limited to the theoretical framework or to disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction and the issue finds itself short on dealing with other impacts of Climate Change on People with Disabilities. Even therein, not much research work has been carried out from the Indian perspective. Through this fellowship, the researcher would like to explore this unfathomed territory. Understanding that Climate Change is the issue confronting the whole human species and the cascading effect it has on over a billion people (people with disabilities) across the world, this research and advocacy endeavor would be worth giving an honest attempt.

In summary, there is a need for a better understanding of intersectionality between Climate Change and Disability to ensure disability-inclusive climate action policies, plans and programs, and strategies.

Lack of Real-Time Data of people with Disabilities despite RPwD Act of 2016 requires the District Disaster Management Authority to maintain the record of persons with disabilities for the purpose of planning, coordination, and implementation during disasters is the major concern that needs to be addressed and advocated. The same applies in respect to adapting and mitigating the impacts of Climate Change on People with Disabilities.

Authored by —

Adv. Abhishek Kumar, Founder — The Sangyan

Curator — Build Forward Better Campaign

NCPEDP — Javed Abidi Fellow on Disability