The Disproportionate Impact of Hurricane Katrina on People with Disabilities

While environmental justice has a much wider scope than the traditional environmental movement, its proponents have often overlooked the role of disability in determining access to environmental benefits and decision-making. Disability has a strong correlation with increased exposure to environmental risks, especially those related to “natural” disasters. A long history of both overt and subtle forms of discrimination against people with disabilities has relegated them to vulnerable positions within society and has severely limited their options for coping with disasters. Although this should place disability well within environmental justice’s purview, discussion surrounding disaster has either entirely ignored the disproportionate impact inflicted on certain populations or solely acknowledged the effect on racial, ethnic, and economic groups (Belasen and Polachek, 2008; Kahn, 2005; McCallum and Heming, 2006; National Council on Disability, 2006; Smith, 2006; Stringfield, 2010).

by Molly Walsh-Warder

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