It’s Critical! – How Critical Disability Studies and Critical Disaster Studies Can Amplify Disabled Voices

This study explores how insights from critical disability studies and critical disaster studies can inform more inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction (DRR). Although disability-inclusive DRR policies call for the involvement of disabled people, structural ableism and unequal power relations can limit participation. While critical disaster studies increasingly considers marginalized populations, disability perspectives remain overlooked. Drawing on co-creation workshops with disabled people’s organizations and local stakeholders, the study examines how preparedness is shaped by social and institutional norms. It suggests that participatory co-creation may identify barriers and redistribute agency to disabled people in disaster preparedness. Findings advance theory and practice by moving beyond deficit-based frameworks and highlight three mechanisms for mitigating power asymmetries: (1) institutionalizing accessible co-decision-making, (2) embedding multi-modal communication as standard practice, and (3) recognizing disabled people’s situated expertise. The study underscores the value of critically informed, participatory methods for effective crisis responses.