By Eleanor Powell
Content warning: natural disasters, active shooter drills, armed conflict
How It Started
Like many millennials, I got into TikTok during the pandemic. Although I first started watching the videos for fun, I soon found myself immersed in advocacy and equity sides of TikTok. Before I knew it, I was primarily watching either videos of cute dogs or of people sharing lived experiences and educating others. Due to my interest in disability rights, I was quickly drawn into disabilitytok.
About a year ago, I was watching a disability self-advocate talk about what happens to disabled students during emergencies at school. If there is a fire and you can’t take the elevator, what do you do? Sure, there is an “Area of Refuge” where firefighters should come to rescue you, but would you be willing to bet your life on it? What about if there is a lockdown and all the students are told to hide under their desks or in a closet, but you use a wheelchair or are overstimulated by noise or in crowded areas? Is there somewhere else you could hide away from your classmates and windows? Maybe.
This got me started on some research.
How It’s Going
Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable during emergencies, disasters, and wars, and even to climate change. You can read more about that in the links I’ve provided below. In December I heard a story on NPR’s Where We Live, a local show on Connecticut’s WNPR. It was a rebroadcast episode called The Trauma of Witnessing War, Near and Far (you will need to scroll down to November 10, 2023, or search for it wherever you get your podcasts). They were interviewing President and Founder of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Dr. Taline Andonian, who was speaking about the disproportionate effect the war in Gaza was having on children with complex healthcare needs. He also mentioned that thousands of children with disabilities had died (as of early November) due to a lack of access to medical care because of the war, but these children were not counted in the death totals reported as war casualties. I can only imagine that that number has increased, and it does not account for adults with disabilities.
What we call wars or humanitarian crises can quickly become tragedies for people with disabilities, especially women and children. When civilians are told to evacuate an area for safety, people with complex medical needs not only take longer to evacuate to ensure they have the support and care they need, but they may even evacuate to a hospital. But what if, as is the case in Gaza right now, there are no hospitals left?
This issue is not unique to the war in Gaza. Before the war in Ukraine, around 45,000 children (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) with disabilities were living in institutions. Tens of thousands of these children were displaced, many without the support they require, or even left behind when staff evacuated with their families. You can read more about the Ukraine war response for children with disabilities here.
In addition to people already living with disabilities in the affected area, wars are mass disabling events. We saw that in the US after WWII when medical care had improved enough to save wounded soldiers and send them home. But what happens to all the people who are injured during a war and then remain in an area that has been destroyed? Are the supports and medical care needed available? Is transportation accessible? Do these individuals have family, friends, or even paid workers to help them adjust to their new life?
How I Leave You
I am not currently living in an area at war or that is experiencing a humanitarian crisis. If my apartment building catches on fire, I can take the stairs to get to safety. If my neighborhood were unexpectedly destroyed by a natural disaster and I did not have regular access to a hospital, I would still have a good chance of surviving. I am not Ukrainian, Israeli, Palestinian, or a WWII vet. To understand these issues, we must listen to those experiencing them.
The CDC has Disability and Health Preparedness resources available to communities to make sure that emergency preparedness plans are inclusive of disability. Ask leaders in your school, community, and local government if they have considered community members with disabilities in emergency plans. I have shared some links below to help you learn more about how people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by disasters, displacement, and war, but you should also search out people with lived experience.
I am not an expert, and I have barely scratched the surface of this issue. I also understand that emergencies and crises are complex and difficult to manage. People will be negatively affected, hurt, or killed during these events despite the best preparation. But are we okay with that burden falling more heavily on people with disabilities? I know I’m not.
Links for more information:
How School Shooting Responses Leave Out Disabled Students
Disability in a Time of Climate Disaster
The Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on People with Disabilities
Palestinians with Disabilities Face Immense Hardship in Gaza
Why Palestinian Liberation is Disability Justice
Gaza: Israeli Attacks, Blockade Devastating for People with Disabilities
Gaza Crisis: Catastrophic Impacts on Persons with Disabilities
Follow Imani Barbarin, author, disability activist, and communications professional on TikTok @Crutches_and_Spice
Follow @GazaPressHeroes for more information about what is happening to displaced people in Gaza
