Case File #136: Unequal Climate Impact

When disaster strikes, everyone is vulnerable. But for those with disabilities, the dangers are often magnified. The 2025 California Wildfires exposed a glaring deficiency in how we protect and support disabled individuals during and after natural disasters. Did you know 15 percent or 1 billion people worldwide are disabled? How does our response to natural and human-made disasters discriminate as climate change worsens? Why are advocates of the disabled community NOT at the table during local, national, and global decision-making? Host Roshini Rajkumar asks Gillette Children's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Micah Niermann how he's tackling these critical questions head-on. They analyze the shortcomings of current disaster response strategies in the context of climate change and explore innovative solutions to protect the lives of the world's most vulnerable citizens, who also want to live full lives.