Reimagining the U.S. Global Change Research Program to Support Equitable Community Engagement Using a Disability Lens

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP or “the Program”) is at a pivotal moment in its evolution as it works to develop its next decadal strategy. Constrained by an outdated mandate and facing an increasing demand for actional and usable climate information, the Program has an opportunity to re-envision its already robust participatory mechanisms to improve engagement with historically marginalized communities. The disability community is acutely sensitive to Earth’s changing climate, facing threats from extreme weather, in addition to enhanced risks due to systematic ableism in our policy and planning spaces. However, the disability community can also be a critical source of innovative ideas and inclusive practices that can ensure the climate documents guiding future policy development are just and equitable. By adopting a disability lens in its strategy update plans, the Program can ensure that the climate information it provides to local and regional decision-makers through the National Climate Assessment process supports future U.S. climate policy with the tenets of justice and equity at the core. In particular, the Program should revise its community engagement framework guided by 1) the social model of disability, 2) narratives from within the disability community, and 3) ideas of universal design.