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26 October 2021
13:00 UK / 08:00 EST
Free

Disability Innovation Live Series. An Inclusive Future: Disability Inclusive and Climate Resilient Cities

A building with 3 steps to access the door. A plank of wood sits from the ground level to the first step, is broken and inadequately providing a solution to access the door
In Varanasi buildings are built off street level to mitigate flood risk. The ramp pictured here is helping to cross an open drain but is not providing accessible access to this open door.

Ahead of COP 26 GDI Hub focused this next Disability Innovation Live webinar on disability inclusive climate resilience in cities.

Disabled people must be included in conversations about climate resilient futures. At GDI Hub we believe that there is an untapped resource in the nexus of climate resilience and disability inclusion: inclusive design. The design and planning of the urban built environment and infrastructure has a crucial role in a more equitable and resilient future. Applying a lens of disability inclusion and inclusive design to the design of sustainable, urban solutions will create opportunities for resilience and ensure marginalised groups are not left behind.  

During this event speakers from organisations GDI Hub, Asian Development Bank and Kota Kita discussed infrastructure and urban development projects in countries including Mongolia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Kenya. The speakers drew out key issues and challenges that projects face in inclusion, sustainability and resilience and highlighted what needs to be done to address them. Key messages included the need to break down silos and ensure that disabled people are active participants in the conversation, design and implementation of climate resilient strategies.

Speakers:

Lloyd Wright

Senior Urban Development Specialist at Asian Development Bank

Colour profile image of Dr. Maria Kett
Dr Maria Kett
Co-Founder, Associate Director and Head of Humanitarian and Associate Professor at UCL
Asih has dark, shoulder length hair and is smiling towards the camera

Asih Radhianitya

Program Officer of Urban Resilience Initiatives at Kota Kia
Colour image of Mikaela Patrick, a white woman with shoulder length dark hair, wearing glasses.
Mikaela Patrick
Inclusive Design Researcher at Global Disability Innovation Hub
Colour image of Ben Oldfrey smiling at the camera
Dr Ben Oldfrey
Research Fellow working between the Global Disability Innovation Hub and the Institute of Making

Post event catch-up:

Download the transcript

GDI Hub at COP26

GDI Hub is hosting a side event at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) on Thursday the 11th of November that will set an agenda for the inclusive design of more climate resilient cities. To prepare for this event, we want to bring together our network to collect best practices and community-led solutions that can be showcased at COP.

Examples of best practice

If you are working in the space of disability inclusion and climate resilience or sustainability please fill out this form to help us collect examples of best practice ahead of a series of events leading to COP26. Let us know about your work and we will get in touch!

Best Practice Form