Good COP or Bad COP? A Disabled Perspective of COP26

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: On a light pink background, there’s a photo of different types of leaves along the bottom of the background, and on the bottom right corner leaf, there is the Critical Cripship Studies social logo. In the centre of the image, in the light pink part of the background, there’s a dark green text that says: “Good COP or Bad COP? A Disabled Perspective of COP26.” Underneath, in the bottom centre and overlayed over the leaves, there is a photo of Sulaiman who is wearing his new green I Love Plants Oodie with joyful plants embossed throughout via The Oodie UK and his colourful Kente print face mask. DESCRIPTION ENDS.

As we end halfway into the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), our Chief Cripship Critical Thinker & Community Leader, Sulaiman, shares his thoughts on the need for integrating Disability within Sustainability at COP and beyond. Read more from him, if you dare:

As we are deep into COP26 (and as I started my MSc in Sustainable Development at The University of Sussex this week), the world anticipates what solutions can be found to climate change and a dying planet. Sustainability is critical to everything and everyone, and society and Mother Earth will not survive without it being at the forefront of every solution. But there is no sustainability without inclusion, and all voices must be included in this conversation. I would like to make a case for why a community that are experts in dealing with limitations and finding imaginative solutions are potentially a goldmine of solutions for challenges around Sustainability. Yet, they are a forgotten community that have been completely sidelined and not thought of until the final solutions for climate justice. This community are the world’s largest minoritised community (1.3 billion people and counting). I have been working more around these voices that are not included in the Sustainability/Climate conversations over the years. 

I speak about the Disabled community, and in turn, Disability, across the world. Disabled people, in particular, are left out, even though we care just as much about Sustainability as anyone else. That’s why moving beyond sustainability, it’s critical to go into regeneration.

A point in case is the incident that happened at COP26. On the first day of COP26 (1st November 2021) and already, the lack of inclusion for Disabled people is shocking. One shocking but not surprising example is when a wheelchair user Israeli minister was denied access to COP26 after waiting outside for over two hours and ending up going back to her hotel over fifty miles away[1]. My friend Michaela Hollywood highlights the frustration and shock via this[2] thread on Twitter. The UK Government’s lack of full accessibility for Disabled people at COP26 with the exclusion of British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation and captions during the whole conference furthermore underlines the complete precluding of Disabled people’s needs and Disability in regeneration/Climate conversations and involvement in the subsequent practical solutions[3]. Personally, I feel devastated that Disabled people like me are being systemically erased in this vital international climate conference. We need to take a lesson from Mother Earth (particularly Fungi/Mycelium) and Disabled people to live and work with interdependence for benefit of the whole. We cannot find the answers to the most challenging social issues we face without including all of us.

Because radical answers require radical questioning.

So the radical question I wish to ask the UN, international media, governments, businesses, organisations, charities, and individuals participating in COP26 (and beyond) is: 

So, what are you doing to create more radical, worldbuilding, holistic, healing, compassionate, abundant, loving, dignity-giving, life-affirming, safe, liberated, interdependent, imaginative, grieving, joyful, ecological, sustainable, decolonised, Post-Capitalist, Anti-Ableist, Anti-Racist, accessible approaches to regenerative practice conversations and solutions that centre Disabled people, especially Disabled Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)? When I say Indigenous, I don’t mean the definition of Indigenous that white supremacy adopts for its propaganda and what we sometimes see as violent and hateful action.

Alice Wong highlights 3 of her podcast episodes on climate action, climate change and disaster planning relating to Disabled people via the Disability Visibility Project[4]. 

Let’s break down a few topics relating to climate justice and why it is vital to centre Disabled people within regeneration. 

• Food -

  Over the last few years, there has been a lot of debate around food regeneration and food ecology with no consideration of Disabled people and our needs. For example, plastic single-use straws equate to just .03 percent of 8 million metric tons of plastics in oceans per year, and everyone is banning plastic single-use straws, but no one is thinking of the life and death real consequences of such actions to Disabled people. Here[5] is a fantastic article from Alice Wong about the issues that Disabled people face with straw bans. Straws could even be reusable or made from renewable materials, but the as the image attached highlights, the current straw alternatives are not suitable for many Disabled people including myself.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: On a black background with colourful plastic straws is a bar chart, comparing how different reusable straw alternatives to plastic straw are harmful to Disabled people. Above the chart is white text that says, “Many Disabled people need plastic straws to drink, eat, take medications, etc. Here’s how current alternative, reusable options are a harm to us.” According to the chart, metal straws are an injury risk, not positionable, and costly for consumers. Bamboo straws are an injury risk, not positionable, and costly for consumers. Glass straws are an injury risk, not positionable, costly for consumers, and not high temperature safe. Silicone straws are not positionable, costly for consumers, and not high temperature safe. Acrylic straws are an injury risk, not positionable, costly for consumers, and not high temperature safe. Paper straws are a choking hazard, not positionable, and not high temperature safe. Pasta straws are a choking hazard, an injury risk, and not positionable. Single-use plastic straws carry none of the risks. Below the chart is white text saying, “Pressure to create bio-degradable straw options that are safe for the environment AND for all Disabled people should fall upon manufacturer, NOT marginalized Disabled consumers. Once we accept the necessity of plastic straws, we can work together on other environmental initiatives that are effective, inclusive and accessible.” The image was created by @sarahbreannep. DESCRIPTION ENDS.

Maybe looking at straws made from Mycelium would be a regenerative and accessible solution for Disabled people. In addition, in September 2020, the UK government quietly (like everything they are doing) passed a law that makes it illegal for stores including online retailers to sell plastic single-use straws to the public in England[6]. This is terrifying because I don’t know how I will drink anything in the future as I only have about 6 months supply of plastic single-use, flexible straws left. It is vital to recognise that it’s not just about plastic single-use straws too, many Disabled people rely on single use plastics to survive. For example, I use single use plastic filters (that need to be replaced every month) for my ventilator I must use daily. I am not saying that we shouldn’t become regenerative and not reduce plastics, but it shouldn’t be at the survival of Disabled people. What I am saying: We must not ignore and erase our (Disabled people’s) wisdom and richness, and Disabled people must be centred by society within conversations and solutions to be fully regenerative and accessible so we are not systemically erased. It is also important to note that pre-cut food and certain foods are the only foods many Disabled people can eat, so not engaging with Disabled people when it comes to food regeneration/ecology means that many Disabled people will die. Apart from heeding the wisdom of indigenous communities and people like Jen Deerinwater and Dr Vandana Shiva, we should be listening to Disabled people when it comes to food equity. Ellen Jones highlights[7] this issue best. 

• Risk Management -

  There have been many environmental suffering from natural disasters over the last few years. Disabled people are always an afterthought when it comes to planning and risk management of communities yet are often the first to be affected by the consequences due to this lack of care for our lives. For example, in July, the floods in Germany where, in one night, in a care home, “12 Disabled occupants could not escape their flooded rooms in time and drowned.”[8] Disabled people also have less financial support to remove themselves from any pending risks. For example, in the UK, Disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed than not yet Disabled people, and if you live in a family with someone who is disabled, you are more likely to live in poverty[9]. 

• Climate Disaster -

  After the lack of planning and management for emergency situations, Disabled people are also forgotten and end up paying the cost of their lives when it comes to climate disasters. In an LA Times article from 2015, Romney (2015)[10] highlights the issue when discussing ‘a report by the Pomona-based Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.’ The report noted, “Most disaster response systems are designed for people who can: walk, run, see, drive, read, hear, speak and quickly understand and respond to instructions and alerts.” 

Although things have improved, Disabled people are still not involved in the planning process, and for Disabled people around the world, we are still left trying to find our own solutions if there is a climate disaster. 

• Technology -

  Technology can play a huge part in finding solutions for climate justice and regeneration. In the last few years, we have seen a dramatic rise in technological solutions in our lives, especially in the western world. Disabled people are native tech users, and we are able to understand technology better than most since we have had to use it for our entire lives to hack our way around the Ableism and inaccessible society that we live in. 

• Design –

  Everything from text messages to touch screens to drop kerbs to easy-grip cutlery was designed by or for Disabled people. Design is everywhere, and the impact of Disabled people on design has been significant, but not many people are aware of our contributions to the world, nor are they aware of Disability culture and the richness that we create. However, it is essential to do things with (and not for) Disabled people. As the Disability community slogan best goes, “nothing about us, without us.” Disabled designer Liz Jackson highlights this at the AIGA design conference from 2019, where she “discusses how the things that Disabled people radically fight for become the things that are empathetically done for us.”[11] Also, Disabled people don’t need any Disability Dongles as (Jackson, 2019) defines, “Disability Dongle: A well intended elegant, yet useless solution to a problem we never knew we had. Disability Dongles are most often conceived of and created in design schools and at IDEO.”[12]

• Transportation and Lifestyle -

  Often, society assumes that being more sustainable and regenerative is a lifestyle and behaviour choice. A “just change your habits” narrative if you like. However, Disabled people do not have the luxury of deciding how to live, where to live, what to eat, where to shop and how to travel. For example, when it comes to transportation, in London, only approximately 25% of the underground stations are fully step-free, and the accessible van (I received through the Motability Scheme, a system in the UK assisting Disabled people to get a new accessible vehicle for those of us can’t afford to do so) that I require to get around is only available as a diesel vehicle where electric options or hydrogen are not provided whatsoever. 

• Psychology/Mental Health –

  Also, we can not only look at the “outer” when it comes to regeneration, but we must be in harmony above balance with the “inner.” This is even more important in the current climate catastrophe that we are collectively facing. Our psychological and mental health care are critical to take care of in this situation. However, yet again Disabled people not only are excluded from conversations and solutions we are erased from the support and care needed. According to the World Health Organization, “depression is the leading cause of Disability worldwide”[13]. And the UK’s Office for National Statistics states that, “More than one in five working disabled people cited a mental health condition as the main cause of their disability”[14]. The ONS adds that, Disabled people in the UK have a lower rate of happiness and a higher rate of anxiety and loneliness than non-Disabled peers[15]. This is not surprising when you consider the daily Ableism, discrimination and inaccessibility Disabled people face. There’s lots of things that may really help support Disabled people in their psychological and mental health care. For example, work around depth psychology[16] may be useful and the great work that Johns Hopkins University is doing around psilocybin and depression[17] could enhance the quality of life. Disabled people must not be forgotten in this regenerative inner wellbeing and we need to be at the forefront of conversations and solutions.
  

These are not an exhaustive or definitive list of issues around Disability and climate justice but give an insight into some of the challenges we face. 

Moving forwards, it is important to recognise some important statistics from Global Citizen[18]: 

1) 80% of Disabled people live in developing countries (though the term ‘developing countries’ is colonial language, it would be preferred to say the countries/continents you are talking about such as Africa and Asia; Bond has a fantastic language guide[19]). 

2) 90% of Disabled children in developing countries are not in school.

…

4) Poor people are more likely to be Disabled.

5) Just 45 countries in the world have anti-discrimination and other Disability-specific laws.

When it comes to regeneration and the inclusion of Disability, we have to think about decolonisation and post-capitalism and what this means to Disabled BIPOC. So it is critical to work with an intersectional and equitable approach that includes Disabled people in regeneration conversations. Again, we have to move away from sustainability and think about what is beyond by working towards regeneration. 

Disabled people have so much wisdom and richness to share with the world. We can assist to regenerate ourselves, humanity, and Mother Earth. 

“Disabled people know what it means to be vulnerable and interdependent. We are modern-day oracles. It’s time people listened to us…”[20]

– Alice Wong 王美華

With that being said, and once more, radical answers require radical questioning. So reading through this blog post, I hope you have a new perspective and a greater appreciation for the radical question shared above:   

What are you doing to create more radical, worldbuilding, holistic, healing, compassionate, abundant, loving, dignity-giving, life-affirming, safe, liberated, interdependent, imaginative, grieving, joyful, ecological, sustainable, decolonised, Post-Capitalist, Anti-Ableist, Anti-Racist, accessible approaches to regenerative practice conversations and solutions that centre Disabled people, especially Disabled Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)? When I say Indigenous, I don’t mean the definition of Indigenous that white supremacy adopts for its propaganda and what we sometimes see as violent and hateful action.

Ultimately, there is no regeneration without Disability. Without including Accessibility (in all its meanings for Disabled people), Anti-Ableism, and Disability Justice into ALL social justice movements, there is no movement.

Creating sustainable and regenerative practical solutions for Climate Justice with (and not for) Disabled people is radical, worldbuilding, and joyful. 

Will you dare to be our accomplice integrating Disability into save us, humanity, and Mother Earth, not just for COP26 (and any COP conferences hereinafter) but beyond into our shared future?

“Liberated relationships are one of the ways we actually create abundant justice, the understanding that there is enough attention, care, resource, and connection for all of us to access belonging, to be in our dignity, and to be safe in community.” 

— Adrienne Maree Brown

Wow, what a profound blog post We couldn’t agree more with everything Sulaiman said. Keep questioning! 

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Imagined, created, written, and shared with grief, joy, and interdependence between our magnificent personal assistant Tia Denton and Sulaiman R. Khan in Crip Time (a term created by, for, and only to be used by the Disabled community).

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REFERENCES

1. BBC (2021) ‘COP26: Boris Johnson apologises to minister over wheelchair access’, BBC Online. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-59132811 (Accessed: 2 November 2021). 

2. Hollywood, M. (2021) ‘My head is brimming with things to say about this. A MINISTER WAS DENIED ACCESS TO THE BUILDING!’ Twitter, 2 November. Available at: https://twitter.com/KylaHollywood/status/1455495261468479495?s=20 (Accessed: 2 November 2021).(Accessed: 2 November 2021).

3. Wong, A. (2021) ‘🤦🏽‍♀️ #COP26’ Twitter, 5 November. Available at: https://twitter.com/elizejackson/status/1110629818234818570?s=20 (Accessed: 5 November 2021)

4. Wong, A. (2021) ‘For more, check out these episodes from @DisVisibility podcast (w/ transcripts)’ Twitter, 4 Nov. Available at: https://twitter.com/SFdirewolf/status/1456194009064370179?s=20 (Accessed: 4 November 2021)

5. Wong, A. (2018) ‘The Last Straw’, EATER. Available at: https://www.eater.com/2018/7/19/17586742/plastic-straw-ban-disabilities (Accessed: 26 October 2021).

6. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2020. Straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers ban: rules for businesses in England. [online] Gov.UK. Available at: <https://www.gov.uk/guidance/straws-cotton-buds-and-drink-stirrers-ban-rules-for-businesses-in-england> [Accessed 21 October 2021].

7. Jones, E. 2021. Not everyone can be vegan, especially disabled people. [Instagram]. 1 November. [2 November]. Available from: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVvz9P4oN-h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

8. Jacobsen, M. (2021) ‘The lesson from German floods: prepare for the unimaginable’, Climate Home News. Available at: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2021/08/20/lesson-german-floods-prepare-unimaginable/ (Accessed: 3 November 2021)

9. Scope (2021) Scope. Available at: https://www.scope.org.uk/media/disability-facts-figures/ (Accessed: 3 November 2021)

10. Romney, L. (2015) ‘California wildfires left the disabled in peril’, Los Angeles Times. Available at:

    https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-disability-fires-20150928-story.html (Accessed: 3 November 2021)

11. AIGAdesign (2019) Liz Jackson | Honoring the Friction of Disability. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZhiu-jGbdE (Accessed: 4 November 2021)

12. Jackson, L. (2019) ‘Disability Dongle’ Twitter, 26 March. Available at: https://twitter.com/elizejackson/status/1110629818234818570?s=20 (Accessed: 4 November 2021)

13. World Health Organisation, 2021. Depression. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression [Accessed 5 November 2021].

14. Office for National Statistics, 2021. Disability, well-being and loneliness, UK - Office for National Statistics. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/bulletins/disabilitywellbeingandlonelinessuk/2019 [Accessed 5 November 2021].

15. Office for National Statistics, 2021. Disability, well-being and loneliness, UK - Office for National Statistics. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/bulletins/disabilitywellbeingandlonelinessuk/2019 [Accessed 5 November 2021].

16. Good Therapy, LLC., 2017. Depth Therapy. [online] Good Therapy. Available at: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/depth-therapy [Accessed 5 November 2021].

17. Johns Hopkins Medicine International, 2020. Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression, Study Shows. [online] News Releases, Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/psychedelic-treatment-with-psilocybin-relieves-major-depression-study-shows [Accessed 5 November 2021].

18. Marchildon, J. (2018) ‘5 Facts About Living with a Disability in the Developing World’, Global Citizen. Available at: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/disability-in-the-developing-world/ (Accessed: 4 November 2021)

19. Bond. (2021) ‘Taking British politics and colonialism out of our language: Bond’s language guide’. [Online] Available from: https://www.bond.org.uk/sites/default/files/resource-documents/bond_language_guide_v2.pdf. [Accessed 4 November 2021]

20. Wong, A. (2020) ‘Disabled Oracles and the Coronavirus’, Disability Visability Project. Available at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus/ (Accessed: 4 Novemer 2021)