Heat and Disability Symposium [online]

UTS researchers in the Climate, Society and Environment Research Centre (C-SERC) and collaborating with Sweltering Cities to run a symposium on heat and disability. All welcome! Details below, and RSVP on Humantix. Dr Elizabeth Humphrys, the Too Hot to Work Coordinator, will be speaking about heat, disability and worker safety.

Heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural disaster, but they don’t impact everyone equally.

For people with disabilities, extreme heat is more than just an inconvenience – it is a critical health and accessibility crisis. From the rising cost of energy for essential cooling to the lack of accessible, heat-safe public transport, our current systems are failing to protect the one in six Australians living with disability.

Join Sweltering Cities, El Gibbs, and Dr Elizabeth Humphrys and Professor Beth Goldblatt from UTS alongside a panel of leading disability advocates and experts for a vital, participatory symposium. Together, we will move beyond simply identifying the problems and start designing the solutions for a cooler, more inclusive future.

What to Expect

Keynote and Panel Discussion: Hear from disability rights advocates and researchers on the frontlines of climate and health justice. We’ll dive into the latest data from the 2026 Summer Survey, which reveals that 87% of people with disabilities felt unwell during recent heatwaves.

Participatory Workshop: This is your chance to set the agenda. In the second half of the event, we’ll move into a collaborative workshop where you can share your observations, explore case studies, and help us co-design the policy changes we need.

Why Attend?

This event is for advocates, community members, policymakers, and health professionals who believe that designing well for people with disability means designing well for the whole community. Be part of the conversation that takes our stories from the sweltering streets to the halls of Parliament.

Accessibility

We are committed to making this event accessible for everyone. Additional information about accessibility will be shared ahead of the event. If you have specific access requirements, please let us know in the registration form.