People with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups during extreme weather, yet they often face difficulties accessing life-saving information.

This week, meteorology experts from across the Pacific joined forces with organizations representing people with disabilities to address this issue.

For many Pacific islands, a weather warning can mean the difference between safety and disaster. But for people with disabilities—especially in remote areas—these warnings often do not reach them in time.

Zulfikar Begg, Program Manager at COSPPac, a regional meteorology program, said the workshop aimed to understand these challenges and improve last-mile delivery of information.

“Some of the things we’ve been doing this week include mapping out dissemination pathways, understanding how information is issued and received, and identifying barriers. At the same time, we are developing a roadmap to break these barriers,” Mr Begg said.

CEO of the Pacific Disability Forum, Sainimil Tawake, highlighted that many weather warnings can become barriers instead of protective measures for people with disabilities.

“Most people with disabilities are fearful to move because they don’t know the surroundings in evacuation centres or where they will evacuate to. The fear of inaccessibility, privacy, and comfort, and the lack of information given in advance makes early warnings less effective. Information is very important, and we need to ensure it reaches people in time,” Ms Tawake said.

Meteorology expert Varanisese Vuniyayawa added that solutions require collaboration with disability organizations and communities.

“Trying to make our bulletins understandable for someone in the village, focusing on text formats for those who are deaf, and visualizations for those who are blind, is essential,” he said.

Globally, around 1.3 million people live with some form of disability. Access to weather and climate information remains a top priority for their safety and survival.