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Lauren Salemo

Film

‘Evacuation Routes Are Meant for People Who Can Run’

A man pulls a wooden boat to shore. Four men are standing in the boat. Behind them, flood waters stretch to the horizon.

As climate change and conflict intensify across Pakistan, emergency systems continue to exclude people with disabilities. Warning messages, evacuation routes, and shelters are often inaccessible, leaving many without critical information when floods or violence erupt. “Evacuation routes are built for people who can run,” Deaf author and policy advocate Kashaf Alvi says, “and information is broadcast in ways that a significant population cannot access.”