Film
Heat and Hurricanes
The Climate Crisis Facing Older, Disabled Americans
We’ve partnered with disabled filmmakers globally to document how climate change is impacting people with disabilities in their communities. In the lead-up to COP29, we’ll be sharing excerpts from their reports. “Heat and Hurricanes” was edited by Aki Gaythwaite.
For disabled Americans like Larry Landrie, the intersection of climate change and disability is a life-threatening reality. With hurricanes and heatwaves growing more frequent, the risks are high, but emergency plans often overlook disabled people. Living in Georgia, Landrie depends on air conditioning to cope with extreme heat, but mounting repair costs make it unaffordable, while hurricanes and blocked roads make it even harder to reach essential medical appointments. “When your air conditioner goes out and they say, ‘Get used to the heat’—well, I’m old, chronically ill, and I can’t take the heat,” Landrie says. The Disability Disaster Hotline, offered by the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, is a step forward, providing crucial support for disabled individuals during disasters.
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Filmmaker: Larry Landrie
Larry Landrie is retired from a 40-year career with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was a lead pharmacy tech and purchasing agent there, warehouse foreman, IT specialist, team lead, technical lead, project manager, and support specialist. Since retiring, Larry has been active in photography and videography. He is admin for the Facebook group, Worldwide Wheelchair Photographers. He also tinkers with Wix and WordPress website builders and MS List and Airtable file builders. He enjoys playing the guitar and harmonica and singing. He is an active writer on Substack, a conscientious objector, and an adamant anti-war advocate. In old age, he is hard of hearing and has low vision. He is an esophageal cancer survivor, and he can't walk because of radiation-induced myelopathy.
Behind the scenes
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