Kevin Akike & Sarah Goulding (2025) Disability and climate change – inclusive futures

This practice note explores how climate change responses can be strengthened by centring the lived experience and leadership of persons with disabilities in the Pacific. Kevin Akike – a disability rights advocate from Papua New Guinea – and Sarah Goulding highlight the urgent need for disability-inclusive climate action, particularly in frontline communities facing severe environmental challenges. Through inclusive Tok Stori dialogues, they reflect on the exclusion of people with disabilities from climate policy and programming. The article outlines practical, community-led approaches such as inclusive communication, accessible community mapping, and the leadership of local Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and calls for reform in global climate finance institutions to embed disability inclusion in policy and practice. It offers valuable insights for development practitioners seeking to advance equity, accessibility and resilience in climate action.