By Sarah Pickthall

With each climate disaster that occurs in our world we witness the disproportionate negative impact experienced by disabled people because of the inaccessibility of society as currently designed.  

This is even more apparent and pressing for disabled people who live in disaster-prone areas and/or where there is more extensive poverty, with inaccessible or non-existent transport systems and systemic infrastructure, and where inclusive disaster-planning is poorly considered. 

“Climate marches have never taken us into account.“

‘The Nothing About Us without Us’ movement, first invoked within the Disability Rights Movement in the early 1990s in South Africa, motivated disabled activists all over the world to overcome systemic oppression. It continues to inspire and empower disabled people to take control over decisions affecting their everyday lives. 

In that spirit, our new survey and set of roundtables for No Climate Action Without Us has pursued a more disabled-centred approach where climate sustainability in the music industry might be seen and understood as an equitable rights and leadership issue.  

Disabled music creatives can, and should, lead and inform the shaping of best practice climate sustainability measures for themselves, but they cannot do this on their own. The industry must have their backs. 

Their lives and experiences need to be respected and understood. They need to be given the access to contribute to and to be part of the debate. They must be able to explore best practice for themselves in collaboration with others, and the industry. 

Listening to the voices of disabled music creatives 

Even if climate sustainability is an important part of your values and the way you live your life, it may be harder as a disabled music creative to put sustainability measures in place. 

“We shouldn’t have to choose between what’s best for the planet and what’s best for us.”  

For climate justice and disability justice to be upheld together it is crucial that music venues, events and festivals meet disabled music creatives’ access requirements in the first instance. 

“I wish they’d actually read my access rider. They just don’t and so I have often found myself in situations where I have to crawl around or be lifted.“

It is also imperative that they understand and respect the dilemmas and difficulties disabled music creatives encounter in trying to do what is ‘best’. 

Disabled music creatives are highly adaptive and often make access adjustments and accommodations of their own. However, there mustn’t be an assumption that they can always just ‘get on with it’ and operate in an ableist ‘where there a will there’s a way’ frame.  There is still a pressing need for the industry to act appropriately and equitably, even when resources are thin. 

“Self-managing as a disabled artist – it can feel like the onus is all on you.“

More often than not, festivals and live events were largely felt to be concentrating on either climate or access and rarely both.

‘It’s rare that live events are thought about and designed to do both things well.’  

Real development in bringing access and climate sustainability where it happens is often led by disabled professionals who are strategically placed to highlight and harness the potential in bringing access and sustainability together.  

Photo credit: Melissa King

In summary, the music industry needs to: 

• Continue to ask about access requirements and respond to access riders as a matter of course in the first instance (as encouraged in the Just Ask campaign) 

• Appreciate why it is difficult sometimes for disabled music creatives to act sustainably, and the feelings of embarrassment, shame and sometimes defensiveness that this may evoke in them 

• Be part of ensuring that the language of climate sustainability is unpacked and made more accessible across the industry. This is important for all audiences, many of whom are not able to naturally connect with and understand the climate sustainability agenda and the actions within it.