World Institute on Disability Sponsored by California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity
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World Institute on DisabilitySponsored by California Department of Public
Health’s Office of Health Equity
People with disabilities (PWD) need support for health & independence
Medical: quality healthcare, equipment, supplies, medication
Life quality resources: personal assistance, accessible housing, transportation, jobs
Funding & stability: social services, community & family support
Takes time to develop, but it’s vulnerable
Climate change is a matter of global survival
Many things affected: food production, natural disasters, public health, migration
Some are impacted more than others: poor, minorities, developing countries, disabilities
Some groups are denying that climate change exists, then fighting to stop any action
Many others are pushing to cut emissions - but ignoring how we need to adapt & prepare
“Thermal radiation” comes down from the sun
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) trap thermal radiation & keep the atmosphere warm
We emit carbon dioxide & other GHGs by burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, etc.
These GHGs trap extra radiation & warm up the atmosphere even more (“global warming”)
The warmer atmosphere changes weather and other aspects of the climate (ie soil moisture)
This affects nature, ecosystems & humanity
1870: 270 ppm CO2 2017: 403+ ppm
Avg. temp increased 1°C (1.8°F) since 1870
The “flows” of GHGs have a very delicate balance - but they’ve shifted
Many reasons:
• Industrialization: power plants, vehicles, & manufacturing produce CO2.
• Large-scale farming: decomposing waste, cow farts
• Deforestation removes CO2-absorbing plants
• Feedback loops: melting ice & permafrost
Direct Impacts
• Stronger & more frequent
storms
• Expanding drought &
forest fires
• Sea level rise & ocean
acidification
• More intense heat waves
• General weather pattern
changes
Indirect Impacts
• Infrastructure damage
• Food insecurity
• Poor health and mortality
• Economic disruptions
• Environmental/ecosystem
instability
• Widespread migration:
“climate refugees”
Stronger storms & extreme weather◦ Many types, geography-dependent
◦ Storm–related injuries & fatalities
◦ Infrastructure damage & interrupted services
Drought, water shortages & crop stress◦ Gravest in developing countries w/o infrastructure
◦ Exacerbated by poor resource management
Large-scale migration◦ 200 million to 1 billion+ by 2050
◦ Resource stresses, social & political tensions
International targets include 1.5 and 2°C Climate scientists predict large changes even if
we cut emissions. • Most models are conservative, ie. no feedback loops
Unfortunately, we cannot “stop global warming.”
Preparing for climate change is very important
Saves lives, well-being, economies & more
Step 1: Create general resiliency◦ Physical & economic infrastructure
◦ Social systems and support networks
Step 2: Situation-Focused Planning◦ Disaster readiness & response (DRR)
◦ Resource management (i.e. water & drought)
◦ Internal & international migration
Start early, provide resources, plan ahead
Oppressed & marginalized groups will be hit hardest & supported least◦ “Developing” countries & the global South
◦ Economically disempowered & poor
◦ People of color & religious/ethnic minorities
◦ People with disabilities
Adaptive climate justice◦ Address root causes of vulnerability
◦ Prepare with specific focus on vulnerable groups
◦ Provide resources & demand help from privileged
People with Disabilities face vulnerability, discrimination, marginalization, and lack of resources & social supports
Climate Change creates additional stresses
During climate change effects, PWDs may:
◦ Experience excess injury, death or health consequences
◦ Fall behind in times of emergency
◦ Lose social or medical supports
Medical model: “Something is wrong” with the person compared to the able-bodied “norm”
◦ Implies brokenness, lack of capacity, unworthiness
History of exclusion
Eugenic ideology: burden, better off dead
Triage mentality
“Essentially excludable”
Disability is located in attitudes and the inaccessible environment
The social model is not just a philosophy
What is required for the social model to operate for inclusion?
We’ve had 60 years of activism and advocacy resulting in more inclusive infrastructure
Accessible housing
Accessible roads, sidewalks, entrances
Accessible transport
“Social Cohesion” – stable, dependable relationships
Medical, non-emergency, DME resources
Social benefits to pay for essential services, typically locale –dependent
Mobility across borders
Electric Power to support accessible technologies
Communications
Political empowerment & engagement
Yes, we are vulnerable!
Concept created by Katrina and other disasters’ neglect of marginalized people
Good & bad news re CERT, FAST, FEMA, cities and states, UNCRPD, UNDRR
Issues touched on at NGO, government, local, national & international levels
“Disability-adjusted life years” (DALYs, a Public Health measure) • “Quantifies” levels of disability, population & time to
a single metric of quality of life
• Existing focus of major reports
Increased DALYs have many causes including:• Storm-related injuries
• Crop shortages & malnutrition
• Invasive diseases
• Climate-related conflict & war injuries
CC will have extra impacts on PWDs Storms & extreme weather◦ Inaccessible shelters & evacuation methods◦ Fragile support systems (medical, caregivers, etc)
Heat waves◦ Increased chance of heat exhaustion & heatstroke◦ Reduced access to air-conditioning
Invasive diseases◦ Greater vulnerability because of fragile health
Mass Climate Migration◦ Inaccessible transit & housing, maintaining support
Communication for sensory disabilities◦ Storm warnings on TV. Closed captioning is key
◦ Announcements in shelters: TTY, CCTV, interpreters
Evacuation◦ Accessible buses & operational paratransit
◦ Mass evacuations of nursing homes etc.
Shelters◦ Fully accessible with medical support
◦ Confusion around “special needs” shelters
Recovery: housing and employment
“Climate migrants” – people forced to relocate due to climate factors
Anticipate up to 1 billion migrants by 2050 (IOM)
Many reasons for relocating• Unlivable homes: flooded coastlines, extreme
drought, heat waves
• Evacuating storms andnot returning home
• Damaged economies
• Refugees from climate-related conflict
Difficulties in displacement & relocation◦ Accessible transit & new accessible housing
◦ Maintaining & rebuilding support networks
◦ Attaining/transferring healthcare & social services
◦ Refusal-of-entry due to disability
◦ Excess vulnerability throughout migration
◦ Abandonment by family, community or caregivers
Most climate migration literature doesn’t include disability. Disability & displacement lit is almost entirely about conflict refugees
Climate Change affects economies & markets◦ Decreased productivity
◦ Supply lines (i.e. through coastal ports)
◦ Resource shortages & price increases
PWDs already face economic challenges◦ Employment, (age 21-64, USA): 35.2% v. 78.3%
◦ Annual earnings: $40,100 v. $45,100
◦ Poverty: 27.0% v. 11.6%
Unique economic needs◦ Medical care & supplies
◦ Government benefits, supports, & public services
Many orgs look at CC, with regular reports◦ International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)◦ National & local government commissions◦ Nonprofits
PWD are often not specifically addressed◦ Instead, lumped in with “vulnerable” or
“special” groups, i.e. children, the elderly, and the disabled”
◦ Some mention: CC will cause more disability
There have been a few articles, white papers, and a 5-day “e-discussion” about CC & PWD.
Government agencies and NGOs: inclusive Disaster Readiness and Response (DRR)◦ Agencies: emergency services, public health, social
services, local government
◦ Disability NGOs: international-focused, disaster response (i.e. Portlight), local advocates
Increasing climate-disability interest◦ Growing recognition & efforts
◦ Actors at all levels: local, national, international
◦ Dispersed groups: needs connection & organizing
California government: ◦ California Department of Public Health (CDPH):
Office of Health Equity
◦ Office of Emergency Services (OES): Access and Functional Needs
County emergency managers
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)
Disability organizations◦ Portlight Strategies
◦ National Ethnic Disability Alliance (Australia)
◦ World Institute on Disability
Information from California’s Third Climate AssessmentMore info available at http://climatechange.ca.gov/research/
By 2050, California is projected to warm by approximately 2.7°F above 2000 averages.◦ By 2100, average temperatures could increase by
4.1– 8.6°F, depending on emissions levels.
◦ Springtime warming — a critical influence on snowmelt — will be particularly pronounced.
◦ Summer temperatures will rise more than winter temperatures, and the increases will be greater in inland California, compared to the coast.
◦ Heat waves will be more frequent, hotter, and longer. There will be fewer extremely cold nights.
Less precipitation, especially in SoCal
More precipitation falling as rain, not snow
Stronger “atmospheric river” events
Drier soils, dried & dying vegetation
Greater risk of wildfire ◦ “…longterm increase in fire occurrence associated
with a higher emissions scenario is substantial, with increases in the number of large fires statewide ranging from 58 percent to 128 percent above historical levels by 2085. Under the same emissions scenario, estimated burned area will increase by 57 percent to 169 percent, depending on location.”
Reductions in hydro-electric power
More energy demand from air conditioners etc. (est. 38% extra in capacity by 2100)◦ “…predominantly non-minority and wealthier ZIP
codes are projected to experience smaller increases in energy consumption, while… [ZIPs with more] Latino and lower-income residents are projected to experience larger increases in energy use.”
“Transmission line loss” of 7% to 8%
Fire risk to large transmission lines, including OR-CA connection and LA area
“Coastal counties in California are home toabout 32 million people, generating billionsin revenues from industry, shipping, tourismand other economic activities that supportmillions of jobs.”
Sea level has risen 7 inches in the last century◦ “…sea level along the state’s coastline in 2050
could be 10-18 inches higher than in 2000, and 31-55 inches higher by [2100].”
Increasing strength of storms, and related storm surge and wave intensity. ◦ “As early as 2050, given current projections of sea-
level rise, today’s 100-year storm could occur once every year.”
Responses: “coastal armoring,” “planned retreat” and “ecosystem-based adaptation”
“Public health could also be affected by climatechange impacts on air quality, food production, theamount and quality of water supplies, energypricing and availability, and the spread ofinfectious diseases. These impacts could havepotentially long-term repercussions, and theseverity of their impacts depends largely on howcommunities and families can adapt.”
Office of Access and Functional Needs
“2017 Year in Review”
World Institute on Disability
January 17, 2017
L. Vance Taylor
Chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs
Office: (916) 845-8202
Time Flies
One for the Record Books!
Lions, Tigers & Bears!
Rain…Floods…
Mudslides…
DamageddonThe Oroville Dam:
• Nation’s tallest dam
• 2nd largest US manmade
lake
• On 2/12/17 erosion caused
Emergency Spillway failure
potentially sending 30ft wall
of water through
downstream communities
• Evacuated over 180,000
people
• Supported 42 shelters
Northern California WildfiresOctober 8th:
• 11,000 firefighters & 500
law officers responded
• Supported +40 shelters
• Provided 40,000 meals,
60,000 liters of water,
2,000 ADA cots, 12,000
blankets
• 245,000 acres burned
• 9,000 structures lost
• $9 billion in damages
• 43 people perished
Southern California Wildfires
December 4th:
• Largest wildfire in state history
• Evacuated 105,000 people
• Mutual aid from Arizona, Idaho,
Montana, New Mexico,
Nevada, Oregon, Utah, the
National Guard and US military
• 8,500 firefighters responded –
the largest mobilization ever
• 283,000 acres burned
• 1,200 structures lost
Lessons Learned
Emergency managers can save lives, reduce suffering, increase
independence and promote the health of individuals with
access and functional needs within their communities by doing
the following three things:
1. Establish a relationship with their local Independent Living
Center (ILC)
2. Reassess the accessibility of their sheltering facilities
3. Integrate American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters within
their press conferences
A Relationship w/the ILCs
• Non-profits operated by
individuals with disabilities &
promote independent living
• There are 28 ILCs in California
• Capacity to push out critical
disaster-related information
• Can assist determining
consumer evacuation and
sheltering needs
• May provide durable medical
equipment and assistive
technology to consumers
Reassessing Shelters• The National Shelter System
(NSS) is out of date
• The accessibility
assessments are incomplete
or out of date
• Too often, officials select
shelters based on poor or
incomplete information
• Reassessing shelters saves
time, money, and bandwidth
of bringing in ADA resources
• Accessible shelters promote
the health, safety, and
independence of survivors
ASL Interpreters at Press Events
• American Sign Language
(ASL) interpreters need to be
at all press conferences
• Without ASL interpreters; the
deaf community cannot
receive, process or act on life-
saving information
• The deaf community were
forced to rely on text messages
from family and friends in order
to get to safety
• Cal OES has a Disaster
Response Interpreter
credentialing program
In Conclusion…
Office of Access and Functional Needs
L. Vance Taylor
Chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs
Office: (916) 845-8202
Thank you!
World Institute on Disability webinar
January 17, 2018
Linda Helland, MPH, CPHClimate Change and Health Equity Program
Office of Health Equity
California Department of Public Health
Considering People with Disabilities in
Climate Change Policy – the Work of the
California Department of Public Health
Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience:
Thrive and Bounce Forward
54
Safeguarding CA Climate Adaptation Plan
55http://resources.ca.gov/climate/safeguarding/
Tools to Identify Communities for Investment:
Climate Change and Health Vulnerability
Indicators for California
Environmental Exposures:
Heat
Air Quality
Drought
Wildfires
Sea Level Rise
Population Sensitivity:
Children and Elderly
Poverty
Education
Race and Ethnicity
Outdoor Workers
Vehicle Ownership
Linguistic Isolation
Disability
Health Insurance
Violent Crime Rate
Adaptive Capacity:
Air Conditioning Ownership
Tree Canopy
Impervious Surfaces
Public Transit Access
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/Pages/CC-Health-Vulnerability-Indicators.aspx
Tools to Identify Communities for Investment:
Climate Change and Health Profile Reports
Tools to Identify Communities for Investment:
Climate Change and Health Profile Reports
Environmental Exposures:
Precipitation
Sea Level Rise
Heat Waves
Wildfire Risk
Social Factors that Confer Risk or Protection:
Living in Rural Areas
Children 0-4
Adults 65 and older
Linguistic Isolation
< High School Education
Poverty
Household rent/mortgage >50% of income
Residents within ½ mile of frequent transit
Outdoor Workers
Vehicle Ownership
Food Insecurity among Low-Income
Violent Crime Rate
Voting Rate
Nursing Facilities, Prisons & College Dorms
Air Conditioning
Tree Canopy
Health Outcomes & Inequities:
Death Rates
Multiple Chronic Conditions
Asthma Diagnoses
Heat-related Emergency Rm Visits
Adult Obesity
Living with a Disability
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/Pages/CC-Health-Vulnerability-Indicators.aspx
Planning and Investing for a Resilient California
59
“State agencies' planning and
investment shall…protect the
state's most vulnerable
populations”.
“…Climate change will
disproportionately affect the
state's most vulnerable…”
Executive Order B-30-15: Account for Climate Change in All State Planning & Investments
Everyone has the same Everyone has what they need
EquityEquality
Equity = Prioritize investment and opportunities
in communities facing inequities
60
Grap
hic: Saskato
on
Health
Regio
n
Equity Guidance: Identify Vulnerable Communities
61
Community Engagement Results in Better Decisions
62http://opr.ca.gov/planning/icarp/resilient-ca.html
Equity Checklist – Considerations for Agencies
✓Which vulnerable populations may be impacted or
could benefit?
✓ Increase racial equity?
✓Decrease inequality in income or wealth?
✓Ensure safety and improve health outcomes for
vulnerable populations, including people with
disabilities?
✓Prioritize vulnerable communities for employment
and job training?
✓Dedicated set-asides?
63
Prioritize Resources for Equity
Mechanisms to assure particular benefit to low income or otherwise vulnerable populations
✓Extra financial incentives, investments, or resources
✓Higher levels of service
✓Facilities
✓Capacity building or training
✓Jobs
64
http://opr.ca.gov/planning/icarp/resilient-ca.html
Linda Helland, MPH, CPHClimate Change and Health Equity Program
Office of Health Equity
California Department of Public Health
[email protected]://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/Pages/CCHEP.aspx
Thank you!
Analyze
Educate
Advocate
Implement
ID key actors & their work
◦ Researchers (i.e IPCC & university scientists)
◦ Policy-makers at global, national, & local levels
◦ Advocacy groups & non-profits
Ask, are PWD considered? How & how not?
◦ Detail: “vulnerable group” v. specific disabilities
How will PWD be impacted by CC? How can policies & actions change the impact?
◦ Decide level of detail to address
◦ Who to involve in policy? Collaborate!
Primary & secondary climate impacts, i.e…◦ Storms: disaster relief & recovery (DRR)
◦ Heat waves: access to A/C or cooling centers
◦ Long-term migration/relocation
Accessible housing, infrastructure, & transportation
Stable support systems in transit & at new homes
Regional differences◦ Major climate impacts: primary & secondary
◦ Development levels & adaptation capacity
◦ Politics, agencies, & disability organizations
Needs re: social & personal education
Create publications & media
◦ Detailed research & policy papers
◦ Articles, op-eds, & videos
◦ Develop media strategies
Contact key stakeholders
◦ Explain the issues & solutions
◦ Collaborate on more research
Seek out many groups (disability, environmental justice, human rights)
Get a range of partners, speak their language◦ Disability rights: inclusion, independence,
“Nothing about us without us!”◦ Public health: harm prevention, well-being◦ Environmental justice: equality, responsibility
Push gov’t & int’l organizations◦ Break down by focus, location, agency, etc◦ Adaptation plans: general & disability-specific◦ Large reports, i.e. IPCC◦ Ensure impacts on PWD are specifically noted
Address all actions at all levels
Work with stakeholders system-wide
Stay involved in policy & actions
Record efforts & develop best practices
Expand networks, allies & messages
Disability reforms are beneficial regardless Access & resiliency are vital, but especially in a
tumultuous world
Climate prep provides another strong argument
Disability highlights theneed for climate prep
Connect & coordinate Brainstorm policy
Combine messages
Advocate together
If people migrate to our city, we should make it
accessible for all
Oregon Live
How do we face harsh reality and still find hope & motivation to work toward both mitigation and adaptation?
“Giving up” feelings are understandable.
Mustn’t submit to denial!
What are your ideas on how we can face the facts and stay active and hopeful for the planet and all living beings?
Think About:
• Your interests
• Your expertise
• Your organization
• Your connections
• Your capacity for
change
Then Start:
• Educate yourself
• Prepare
• Spread the word
• Strategize
• Organize
• Advocate
World Institute on Disability
New Earth Disability
www.wid.org/ned
Alex Ghenis – Policy and Research Specialist
(510)225-6323
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