Rebecca is a researcher activist with more than 20 years’ involvement in the disabled people’s movement. Rebecca’s work has explored the causes, impact and possible ways to address intersectional injustices associated with disability and forced migration in the UK. Her work on issues of disability and immigration has found that the social model of disability can be adapted and extended to focus on the disabling impact of struggles faced by people in the asylum system who are denied basic services.

Rebecca is now working on the ‘Sensing Climate’ project (www.sensing-climate.com). As it becomes increasingly apparent that new approaches are needed to address the climate emergency, it is also clear that the disproportionate impact of extreme weather events on disabled people cannot be addressed simply by inclusion in business as usual. Sensing Climate aims to find out from disabled people living in a wide range of circumstances about people’s needs, experiences and insights in relation to climate change.

Building on Rebecca’s previous work as part of Disability Murals (www.disabilitymurals.org.uk), the project team will be working with artist Andrew Bolton to create painted murals that bring people’s key ideas to public spaces. The murals enable people who contribute to the research to have a central role in shaping how the central messages are promoted. In these ways, the insights of disabled people can contribute to developing more effective and equitable response to climate change.