Until recently, little attention has been paid to the plight of persons with disabilities during extreme weather events and/or natural disasters. Little attention has also been paid to the special needs of children with disabilities growing up in a changing world and the elderly who may rely on others for their day-to-day needs. Climate Change and Disability: A Collaborative Approach to a Sustainable Future delineates the general and specific risks of climate change for persons with disabilities and how we can use accessible approaches to mitigate, adapt and control these risks, while maximizing opportunities for persons living with disabilities. The book opens with an introduction on how we got here. The next chapters cover the framework for research and policy, the physiologic impact of different disabilities, and an overview of specific continents and countries; where hot issues related to climate change exist. Education and advocacy are covered in detail, and the book wraps up with a section on action and research, detailing how to respond to extreme weather events, including how various types of disabilities are impacted by different events. Climate Change and Disability: A Collaborative Approach to a Sustainable Future serves as a guide for a broad audience at the crossroads of environmental adaptation and human health. Rehabilitation physicians as well as physical and occupational therapists will find it valuable for tailoring care for people with disabilities due to climate change. Advocates and individuals with disabilities will gain insight into advocacy for inclusive policies and personal preparedness. Physicians and social scientists interested in the health and societal impacts of climate change will find it useful in informing their practices and research. Policymakers and politicians can utilize this resource to develop equitable climate strategies, ensuring that environmental justice includes those who are most vulnerable.
1. Introduction
2. Taxonomy: A Framework for Research and Policy Development
3. What to Expect Related to Climate Change and Specific Disabilities
4. Worldwide Concerns Related to Climate Change and Disability
5. Education
6. Advocacy
7. Action and Research
Marcalee Alexander, MD is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. A graduate of Jefferson Medical College, she is a Past-President of the American SCI Association. In 2019, to motivate rehabilitation professionals and persons with disabilities to take action regarding climate change, she began a walk from Canada to Key West to educate people about disasters, disability and climate change and the need for an accessible, health-promoting environment. In 2020, she paused the walk due to Covid19. Concomitantly, she founded the 501C3 Sustain Our Abilities, whose mission is to educate people about climate change, disability and health. Dr. Alexander also is founding Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Climate Change and Health and is organizing Climate and Health 2023, a hybrid international meeting. Her walk, now named the Graham-Green Route Aiding Health Adaptation will resume 2/24/24 and she has created a Healthy Living Space petition as part of this journey.
Dr. Alexandra Fogarty, MD, FAAPMR, ABPM, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Utah. Triple board-eligible in PM&R, Sports Medicine, and Pain Medicine, she specializes in spine and musculoskeletal disorders, integrating advanced diagnostics with non-opioid, image-guided therapies to restore improve quality of life. Dr. Fogarty completed her Pain Medicine fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and a Sports Medicine fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, where she also served as Academic Chief Resident. Her research focuses on sustainable practices in interventional pain care, including studies on the carbon footprint of medical procedures. She chairs the Sustainability Task Force and serves on the Board of the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS), promoting environmental responsibility in healthcare.
Carl Froilan D. Leochico, MD, FPARM is a physiatrist from the Philippines who completed his fellowships in Brain Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Brain Rehabilitation at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in Ontario, Canada. His research interests include telerehabilitation and its manifold applications and benefits, including environmental stewardship. He is among the telerehabilitation pioneers in the Philippines and led the development of their national telerehabilitation guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the Secretary of the Telerehabilitation Special Interest Group of the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation, a member of the Toronto Telerehabilitation Working Group, and has been a part of the Sustain Our Abilities focusing on public engagement regarding climate change, health and disparities.
