This project will address the issue of person with disability in relations to disasters and emergency situations caused by climate change.

The project seeks to mitigate the problems associated with disability during disasters and emergency situations during climate change. In Liberia, disability and gender issues are closely linked, and discrimination based on disability, gender, age and other social categories is a common experience for persons with disabilities.

Disproportionately, affected people during disaster and emergency situations are persons with disability. Their exclusion during planning and preparedness for disasters and emergency situations greatly owes to the challenges they face during disasters and emergency situations. Their stigma remains one of the most intractable barriers towards their inclusion in disaster response during climate change.

The majority of PwDs lack the opportunity of self-realization and ability to live a normal life and because of this, they do not consider themselves full, independent and needed member of the society, they suffer from syndrome of dependence on assistance, and they are characterized with pessimism and the lack of initiative in Liberia. They get affected during crisis or disasters especially the disable children and women; they?re likely to be abused sexually, emotionally, physically, psychologically and are more often exposed to neglect. 1 in 5 women and girls worldwide have some form of disability and must be treated equally as humans.

In the absence of programs to develop their residual skills and day to day functional abilities in preparing them for changes in climate, abrupt disaster occurrence, crisis and socio-economic challenges, the PwDs tend to grow up being dependent on others and deprived of gainful livelihood opportunities which result in the mutual alienation between the disabled persons and the rest of the society, dehumanization and fragmentation of the society.

The state also incurs the economic loss, the disabled are not included in labor force and are not involved in the economic life of the country, and the burden of providing full care and income for them is fully transferred to the family, society and the state even in the case of disaster preparedness. This document discussed in detail and highlighted the methodologies and approaches in addressing the above-mentioned problems in the context of developing Strategic Initiative on Promoting Social Inclusion Program on Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in regards to Climate Change.