Disability Justice
In conversation with Heather McCain
Heather McCain (they/them) is the Executive Director and Founder of Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods. Their work and life takes place on the unceded lands of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh people. They are disabled, neurodivergent, trans, and queer. They are also a Crip Doula, which is a disability justice term for someone who helps disabled people navigate our complex systems, build community, find resources, and support one another.
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Q: What values and intentions drive your work?
A: "A big value of ours is that lived experience has value and should be listened to. One of our intentions is to really get across the importance of listening to the voices of people who are most impacted and honouring the full person. Another value is learning. It’s really important that when we do our workshops that we’re not only doing it in a way that honours the stories people have given us permission to share, but also honours the wisdom within the room — being willing and open to learn from other people in the room, no matter what their experience is. We also listen to what others have to say about the work we do, so that we can grow. As an example, we were originally called Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods... but as we did more decolonization work, we heard from Indigenous peoples and from people we helped who didn't have immigration status that 'citizens' was a barrier to some — that they didn’t feel represented by [this term]. So, we changed to a more action-oriented Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods to honour that." |
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Q: What changes do you see as being necessary for creating accessible communities? A: "I think a restructuring of power is necessary because right now the top down approach leaves a lot of voices out of the room and when they’re in the room, it’s definitely more of a tick in a box than meaningful consultation. There’s also a problem with only hearing from voices [people in power] feel are polite enough to be in a room. There is an expectation of people acting professionally which leaves out a lot of the emotions that are needed to do this work. I would like for people to be less overwhelmed by diversity and more curious. There is beauty in equity! Creating the kinds of spaces where people are showing up and feeling safer, feeling heard, don’t need to question speaking up, and are able to be their whole selves with others." |
Q: How did Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods begin? A: "I was in a power wheelchair when I started Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods. The reason why I started the organization is because the bus drivers in the town where I lived would lie to me and say that the ramp was not operating because they didn’t want to bother letting someone on with a wheelchair. This would happen about 50% of the time... and I wrote letter after letter to TransLink, but got no response whatsoever. At the time, I was running a chronic pain support group and someone jokingly told me, 'You should start your own organization' [because] I had tried to find organizations that would help and nobody would. So, I started Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods... and wrote the exact same letter to TransLink once we were incorporated, but this time it said 'Executive Director' above my name and I got a response a week later. And I have been a consultant on and off for them for the last 17 years." |
Q: Can you speak to the importance of sustainability in climate and disability justice?
A: "Sustainability is so important... not only sustainability of the environment, but also sustainability of the individual and of the community. We have self-care shouted at us all the time, but how do we look after ourselves when we feel guilty and when that time is not embedded into our institutions? There should be better support and it should come from a place of community care. There’s also this [notion that] just because someone is passionate about an issue or of a certain identity, they should work themselves until they are exhausted and that is not sustainable."
A: "Sustainability is so important... not only sustainability of the environment, but also sustainability of the individual and of the community. We have self-care shouted at us all the time, but how do we look after ourselves when we feel guilty and when that time is not embedded into our institutions? There should be better support and it should come from a place of community care. There’s also this [notion that] just because someone is passionate about an issue or of a certain identity, they should work themselves until they are exhausted and that is not sustainable."
“I dream of a time where people are no longer congratulated for being resilient or brave, which is having to interact with systems that were made to gatekeep individuals or were designed without their consideration at all. I would love to not be congratulated for being able to fight my way for everything.”
Ways to Take Action
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Bridging the Intersections between Disability Justice and Climate Justice
Extreme Weather and Emergency Preparedness
In the wake of extreme weather events like floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves, disabled people are put at increased risk of harm due to the loss of essential medications and assistive technologies, as well as inaccessible emergency preparedness information and evacuation procedures. During the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, disabled people were 2-3 times more likely to die, partially due to differences in thermoregulation (Spannagel 2021).
Mental Health Impacts: Climate Anxiety and Eco-Grief
A growing number of youth are experiencing climate anxiety — which is characterized by hopelessness, doom, and distress about the future — and eco-grief associated with the loss of homelands, livelihoods, and traditional ways of knowing and being (Cunsolo et al. 2020). These mental health impacts can be especially debilitating for those who reside in areas that are already facing climate chaos and/or live with pre-existing psychiatric disabilities.
In the wake of extreme weather events like floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves, disabled people are put at increased risk of harm due to the loss of essential medications and assistive technologies, as well as inaccessible emergency preparedness information and evacuation procedures. During the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, disabled people were 2-3 times more likely to die, partially due to differences in thermoregulation (Spannagel 2021).
Mental Health Impacts: Climate Anxiety and Eco-Grief
A growing number of youth are experiencing climate anxiety — which is characterized by hopelessness, doom, and distress about the future — and eco-grief associated with the loss of homelands, livelihoods, and traditional ways of knowing and being (Cunsolo et al. 2020). These mental health impacts can be especially debilitating for those who reside in areas that are already facing climate chaos and/or live with pre-existing psychiatric disabilities.
Surging Rates of Disease Rising global temperatures will lead to a increase in vector-borne diseases like malaria or Lyme disease (Jordan 2019). The thawing of Arctic permafrost may also trigger infectious outbreaks due to the release of previously dormant ancient and endemic diseases (National Academy of Sciences). This can result in long-term health challenges, disabilities, and chronic illnesses, especially for low-income and Global South communities who lack access to life-saving treatments.
Eco-Ableism Eco-ableism refers to the ways ableism is reproduced within climate activism. This is especially present in the push for individual solutions like single-use plastic bans and veganism, which detracts attention away from systemic change and fails to account for the many reasons why disabled people may not be able to engage in these practices — explanations for which range from injury risk and financial barriers, to allergies and sanitization. Read and learn more from Jo Moss here! |
Resources