Name
Eva Whyte
Hometown
Castlemaine
Occupation
Student, and volunteering for the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group
Area of Interest
Intersection between climate change and disability.
How is climate change impacting your community?
Climate change is impacting the disability community in every aspect of life. We face higher poverty rates, which leads to more risk of vulnerability, particularly in disasters. This impacts our ability to maintain food security, pay energy bills, obtain solar power, protect ourselves from heat waves, and obtain lower transmission and accessible public transport. We also face barriers to health and psychosocial support. We face a lack of accessible information and participation regarding adaptation and disaster risk reduction and emergency relief. We also face multiple risks because of intersecting experiences, for example women, First Nation’s or LGBQT+ people with disabilities.
What are you passionate about changing?
I am passionate about reframing perspectives and values concerning people with disabilities. And I am committed to working to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are upheld and so they can receive economic security and social services for their emotional and physical wellbeing, they can participate in and make decisions about their lives and that they have a sense of community, acceptance, and dignity.
