Disasters are often framed as unavoidable acts of nature. While hazards themselves may be inevitable, the inequitable outcomes that follow disasters are not. The impacts experienced by communities are shaped not only by the hazard but by the systems designed to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from those events.
Five years after Winter Storm Uri (DR-4586-TX), quantitative data from federal, state, and independent sources demonstrate persistent disparities in disaster response and recovery outcomes for Texans with disabilities. These disparities are measurable, recurring, and associated with identifiable structural and programmatic deficiencies in emergency management planning and implementation.
Our white paper, Disasters are inevitable. Discrimination is not., examines how structural weaknesses in emergency management systems contribute to disproportionate harm experienced by people with disabilities.