Advancing inclusive climate adaptation through participatory action research with young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe

Advancing inclusive climate adaptation through participatory action research with young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Advancing inclusive climate adaptation through participatory action research with young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe Choolwe Mphanza Muzyamba This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9176068/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background The intersection of climate change and disability remains underexamined in low- and middle-income contexts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Zimbabwe, dominant policy and research frameworks continue to construct young people with disabilities (YPWD) primarily through deficit-based narratives of vulnerability, obscuring their role as active agents in climate adaptation. This study addresses this gap by examining how disability and climate adaptation are socially represented and how these representations can be transformed through participatory processes. Methods A qualitative Participatory Action Research design was employed in February 2025 in Harare, Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Danhiko Project. Over 30 young people with disabilities aged 18–24 participated as co-researchers. Data were generated through storytelling, participatory mapping, focus group discussions, and consensus-building exercises. Analysis was guided by Social Representations Theory, focusing on processes of anchoring and objectification, and conducted using thematic analysis with iterative participant validation. Results Findings indicate that disability is initially anchored to dominant representations of dependency, vulnerability, and invisibility, which are objectified through exclusionary policies, inaccessible healthcare systems, limited communication infrastructures, and restricted participation in governance. Through participatory engagement, these representations were actively contested and reconfigured. Participants re-anchored disability as a source of resilience, innovation, and leadership, and co-developed contextually relevant solutions, including community-led data systems, inclusive communication strategies, adaptive livelihood practices, and youth-led advocacy structures. Conclusions This study demonstrates that young people with disabilities are not peripheral to climate adaptation but central to its reconfiguration. By integrating Social Representations Theory with Participatory Action Research, the study shows how participatory processes can transform dominant narratives of vulnerability and enable more inclusive and equitable adaptation pathways. Embedding the knowledge and agency of YPWD within climate policy and practice is essential for advancing climate justice. Disability Climate change Participatory action research Social representations Climate adaptation Zimbabwe Youth Climate justice Background Climate change is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of health inequities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where environmental stressors intersect with structural vulnerabilities [ 1 – 3 ]. In Zimbabwe, climate-related hazards including recurrent droughts, flooding, and extreme heat events, have intensified over the past decade, contributing to food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and disruptions to livelihoods [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]. These impacts are not evenly distributed but are mediated through socio-economic inequalities that shape exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity across populations. Zimbabwe’s socio-economic context further amplifies these risks. Recent estimates indicate that approximately 60% of the population lives below the international poverty line, with rural populations, comprising nearly two-thirds of the population facing persistent infrastructural deficits, including limited access to electricity, healthcare services, and digital connectivity [ 6 – 9 ]. Climate variability, including El Niño-induced droughts, has exacerbated food insecurity and water scarcity, placing millions in need of humanitarian assistance [ 10 , 11 ]. In such contexts, climate change operates not as an isolated environmental phenomenon but as a multiplier of existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting populations already marginalized by structural and historical processes. Among these populations, young people with disabilities (YPWD) remain largely invisible in both research and policy. Persons with disabilities are estimated to constitute between 7% and 11% of Zimbabwe’s population, yet access to education, employment, and healthcare remains significantly constrained [ 12 , 13 ]. For young people, these barriers are particularly pronounced, with limited access to inclusive education and few opportunities for economic participation. Climate-related shocks further intensify these challenges by disrupting already fragile service systems and exacerbating barriers to mobility, communication, and healthcare access [ 4 , 14 ]. For instance, inaccessible infrastructure and emergency response systems can prevent YPWD from accessing life-saving services during floods, droughts, or disease outbreaks. Importantly, vulnerability in this context is not solely a function of environmental exposure but is socially produced through systems of representation, governance, and resource allocation. Disability is frequently framed within dominant policy and societal discourses as a condition of dependency, incapacity, or tragedy, reflecting historical legacies rooted in colonial and biomedical models [ 15 , 16 ]. These representations are not merely descriptive but actively shape institutional practices, often resulting in the exclusion of YPWD from decision-making processes, including those related to climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction [ 17 , 18 ]. As a result, adaptation strategies frequently fail to account for the lived realities and specific needs of YPWD, reinforcing cycles of marginalization. The intersection of climate change and disability therefore reflects a complex interplay between environmental risk and social inequality. Climate-related shocks disrupt livelihoods, increase exposure to health risks, and intensify pressures on already constrained public services, with disproportionate impacts on individuals with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments [ 19 , 20 ]. These vulnerabilities are further compounded by intersecting factors such as gender and rurality. Young women with disabilities, for example, often face heightened risks of gender-based violence, social exclusion, and limited access to resources during climate-induced displacement [ 21 ]. Such intersectional dynamics underscore the need for analytical approaches that move beyond generalized notions of vulnerability to account for layered and context-specific forms of marginalization. Despite growing attention to climate adaptation in Zimbabwe and across sub-Saharan Africa, a significant gap remains in research that centers YPWD as active participants in adaptation processes. Existing studies have largely focused on generalized community vulnerability or on specific demographic groups such as women and rural populations [ 22 , 23 ]. While these studies provide important insights, they often adopt top-down, expert-driven approaches that position affected populations as passive recipients of interventions rather than as knowledge holders and agents of change [ 18 , 24 ]. Furthermore, limited attention has been paid to how dominant representations of disability shape both policy responses and research agendas, particularly within postcolonial contexts where knowledge production is frequently influenced by external frameworks. This study addresses these gaps by adopting a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that foregrounds the voices and agency of YPWD. PAR is particularly suited to contexts characterized by marginalization and power asymmetries, as it emphasizes co-production of knowledge, collective reflection, and action-oriented outcomes [ 25 , 26 ]. By engaging YPWD as co-researchers, the study challenges conventional hierarchies of knowledge production and creates space for alternative epistemologies rooted in lived experience and local context. In addition, this study is theoretically grounded in Social Representations Theory (SRT), which provides a framework for understanding how shared meanings about disability and climate adaptation are constructed, maintained, and transformed within specific socio-cultural contexts [ 27 ]. SRT is particularly useful for examining how disability is anchored to dominant narratives, such as vulnerability or dependency, and how these narratives become objectified in policies, practices, and material conditions. By integrating SRT with PAR, this study moves beyond documenting vulnerability to examining how such representations can be actively contested and reconfigured through participatory processes. The aim of this study is to explore how young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience and respond to climate change, and to examine how participatory processes can transform dominant social representations of disability from vulnerability and dependency toward resilience, innovation, and leadership in the context of climate adaptation. By situating YPWD at the center of analysis, this study contributes to emerging debates on climate justice, disability inclusion, and decolonial research methodologies. It advances the argument that inclusive climate adaptation requires not only technical interventions but also a transformation of the social representations and power structures that underpin exclusion. In doing so, it provides both empirical and theoretical insights that are relevant for policy, practice, and future research in Zimbabwe and comparable settings. Theoretical Framework This study is theoretically grounded in Social Representations Theory (SRT), which provides a framework for understanding how shared meanings are constructed, negotiated, and transformed within specific social contexts. Originally developed by Moscovici [ 27 ], SRT examines how individuals and groups make sense of unfamiliar or complex phenomena by anchoring them to existing cultural frameworks and objectifying them into concrete, socially recognizable forms. These processes shape not only perceptions but also practices, institutional arrangements, and power relations. In the context of this study, SRT is applied to examine how disability and climate change are collectively understood among young people with disabilities (YPWD) in Zimbabwe, as well as within broader societal and policy discourses. Disability is often anchored to dominant cultural narratives of dependency, incapacity, and tragedy, which are historically rooted in colonial and biomedical models [ 15 , 16 ]. These representations are subsequently objectified in material and institutional forms, including inaccessible infrastructure, exclusionary policy frameworks, and limited participation of YPWD in decision-making processes [ 17 , 18 ]. Similarly, climate adaptation is frequently framed through technocratic and externally driven approaches that prioritize infrastructure and economic efficiency, often overlooking lived experiences and local knowledge systems [ 3 , 24 ]. SRT is particularly useful in this study for analyzing how such representations are not fixed but are actively negotiated and contested. Through participatory processes, individuals and groups can challenge dominant meanings and reconfigure them in ways that reflect their lived realities. In this sense, SRT provides a lens to examine not only how exclusion is reproduced but also how it can be transformed. By focusing on processes of anchoring and objectification, the study explores how YPWD reinterpret disability as a source of adaptive knowledge, resilience, and innovation within climate-affected contexts. However, the application of SRT in this study is critically extended through engagement with postcolonial and decolonial perspectives. While SRT offers valuable insights into meaning-making processes, it has been critiqued for its origins in Eurocentric epistemological traditions, which may insufficiently account for the historical and structural dimensions of knowledge production in postcolonial settings [ 28 ]. In Zimbabwe, colonial legacies have profoundly shaped both environmental governance and representations of disability, often privileging Western models of development while marginalizing indigenous and experiential forms of knowledge [ 29 , 30 ]. As such, this study adopts a decolonial approach that seeks to situate social representations within broader structures of power, history, and inequality. Central to this decolonial orientation is the incorporation of relational and community-based epistemologies, including the concept of ubuntu , which emphasizes interdependence, collective responsibility, and shared humanity. Ubuntu provides an alternative lens through which disability can be understood not as individual deficit but as part of a broader social and relational system. At the same time, this study critically engages with such frameworks to avoid romanticizing cultural norms, recognizing that local contexts may also reproduce exclusionary practices, particularly along lines of gender and ability [ 17 ]. In addition, the study draws on insights from disability studies and climate justice frameworks to further deepen the analysis. The social model of disability conceptualizes disability not as an individual impairment but as a product of social, environmental, and institutional barriers [ 31 ]. This perspective is particularly relevant in climate contexts, where vulnerability is shaped by the interaction between environmental hazards and inaccessible systems. Climate justice frameworks, meanwhile, emphasize the unequal distribution of climate impacts and advocate for inclusive, equitable adaptation strategies that prioritize marginalized populations [ 20 ]. Together, these perspectives reinforce the need to move beyond deficit-based understandings of disability and toward recognition of YPWD as active agents in resilience-building. By integrating SRT with participatory and decolonial approaches, this study develops a conceptual framework that enables analysis at multiple levels. First, it examines how dominant representations of disability and climate adaptation are produced and maintained. Second, it explores how these representations are contested and transformed through participatory engagement with YPWD. Third, it considers how such transformations can inform more inclusive and equitable climate adaptation strategies. Through this theoretical synthesis, the study contributes to extending SRT into postcolonial and disability-inclusive contexts, demonstrating its relevance for analyzing power, representation, and agency in climate adaptation. It also provides a foundation for understanding how participatory processes can serve not only as methodological tools but as mechanisms for transforming the social meanings that underpin exclusion. Methods Study design This study employed a qualitative research design grounded in Participatory Action Research (PAR). PAR was selected due to its emphasis on collaboration, co-production of knowledge, and action-oriented inquiry, particularly suited to research involving marginalized populations [ 25 , 26 ]. Unlike conventional qualitative approaches that position participants as subjects of study, PAR actively engages participants as co-researchers, enabling them to identify priorities, contribute to data generation, and co-develop solutions. This approach aligns with the study’s objective of examining not only experiences of climate change among young people with disabilities (YPWD) but also how these experiences can inform transformative and inclusive adaptation strategies. The study was conducted in February 2025 in Harare, Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Danhiko Project, a local organization working with persons with disabilities. The PAR process was structured around a workshop-based engagement, designed to facilitate iterative cycles of reflection, dialogue, and collective problem-solving. Study setting The research was conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, which represents a key urban context where climate-related risks such as flooding, heat stress, and water insecurity intersect with socio-economic inequalities. While the study was urban-based, participants included individuals with both urban and rural backgrounds, enabling reflection on diverse climate experiences. The Danhiko Project provided an accessible venue and logistical support, including sign language interpretation and coordination with participants. The organization’s long-standing engagement with disability communities facilitated trust-building and inclusive participation. Participants and sampling The study involved over 30 young people with disabilities aged 18–24 years. A purposive sampling strategy was used to ensure diversity across: types of disability (physical, visual, hearing, cognitive) gender socio-economic backgrounds urban and rural experiences Snowball sampling was used to extend recruitment through participant networks. Inclusion criteria were: aged between 18 and 24 years self-identifying as a person with a disability willingness to participate in participatory group activities Efforts were made to ensure gender balance and representation of young women with disabilities, given their heightened vulnerability in climate contexts [ 21 ]. Recruitment materials and processes were adapted to ensure accessibility, including the use of sign language, simplified language formats, and verbal explanations. Data collection Data were generated through a structured PAR workshop held on 10 February 2025. The workshop incorporated multiple participatory methods to capture diverse forms of knowledge and experience, consistent with PAR principles of inclusivity and co-production [ 25 ]. Storytelling Participants shared personal narratives of climate-related experiences, including droughts, floods, and health challenges. Storytelling enabled the exploration of lived realities and how participants interpret and make sense of climate risks. Participatory mapping Participants worked in small groups to visually map their communities, identifying climate-related risks, barriers to access (e.g., inaccessible evacuation routes), and available resources. This method facilitated the externalization of abstract concepts into tangible representations. Focus group discussions (FGDs) Participants were divided into groups based on thematic areas such as: healthcare access disaster preparedness economic livelihoods Each discussion lasted approximately 45–60 minutes and was guided by semi-structured prompts informed by Social Representations Theory (SRT), focusing on how disability and climate change are understood and experienced. Consensus-building exercises Findings from group discussions were presented in plenary sessions, where participants collectively identified priorities and co-developed solutions. These sessions enabled negotiation of shared meanings and the co-production of actionable strategies. All discussions were conducted in local languages (Shona and Ndebele) with translation into English where necessary. Data were audio-recorded with participant consent and supplemented by field notes. Accessibility measures included: sign language interpreters large-print materials flexible facilitation approaches Data analysis Data analysis was guided by Social Representations Theory (SRT) [ 27 ] and conducted using thematic analysis. The analytical process involved several stages: 1. Data familiarization Audio recordings were transcribed and translated into English. Transcripts and visual materials (e.g., maps) were reviewed to ensure accuracy and completeness. 2. Inductive coding Data were coded inductively to identify recurring themes related to climate experiences, barriers, and adaptive strategies. 3. SRT-informed analysis Codes were further analyzed to examine processes of: anchoring (e.g., linking disability to dependency or resilience) objectification (e.g., material expressions such as inaccessible systems or community-led solutions) This allowed for analysis of how social meanings are constructed and transformed. 4. Participatory validation Preliminary findings were shared with participants for feedback (member-checking), ensuring that interpretations accurately reflected their perspectives. This step also enabled refinement of themes through collective discussion. 5. Triangulation Data from different methods (storytelling, mapping, FGDs) were triangulated to enhance credibility and depth of analysis. NVivo software was used to support data organization and coding. Trustworthiness Several strategies were employed to ensure rigor: Credibility: achieved through prolonged engagement, triangulation, and member-checking Dependability: ensured through systematic documentation of methods and analytical steps Confirmability: supported by reflexive practices and collaborative analysis with participants Transferability: enhanced through detailed contextual descriptions Ethical considerations Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ) in accordance with national guidelines and regulations for research involving human participants. The study was approved under reference number MRCZ/A/3267. All methods were performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national and institutional guidelines and regulations for research involving human participants. All participants provided informed consent in accessible formats. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw at any stage without consequence. Confidentiality was maintained through anonymization of data, and identifiers were removed from transcripts. Psychosocial support was made available through partnerships with the Danhiko Project for participants who experienced distress during discussions. In line with the principle of “nothing about us without us,” participants were recognized as co-researchers, and efforts were made to ensure meaningful inclusion throughout the research process. Participants received compensation to cover transport and participation costs. Results Overview The findings of this study reveal a dynamic process through which young people with disabilities (YPWD) in Zimbabwe both experience and actively reinterpret the intersection of climate change and disability. Rather than presenting static categories of barriers, the results demonstrate how dominant social representations anchored in vulnerability, dependency, and invisibility are produced, reinforced, and subsequently contested through participatory engagement. Across the participatory activities, a clear trajectory emerged: participants initially articulated experiences shaped by exclusionary systems and deficit-based representations of disability. However, through collective reflection and dialogue, these meanings were progressively reworked. Using Social Representations Theory (SRT), this shift can be understood as a transformation in both anchoring (from dependency to capability) and objectification (from exclusionary systems to locally grounded, inclusive practices). This process unfolded across five interrelated domains: policy exclusion, healthcare access, communication systems, economic livelihoods, and participation in decision-making. Importantly, these domains were not experienced in isolation but were deeply interconnected, reflecting the layered and intersectional nature of climate vulnerability. Reproducing and contesting invisibility: disability in policy and governance Participants’ initial accounts consistently framed climate and health policies as spaces of absence sites where disability is not merely overlooked but structurally excluded. Disability was anchored to invisibility, not only in terms of representation but also in terms of data, recognition, and policy relevance. This invisibility was repeatedly linked to the absence of disability-disaggregated data, which participants understood as both a technical and political issue. As one participant noted: “If we are not counted, we are not planned for. It’s like we don’t exist in these policies.” (P3) Here, invisibility is not simply descriptive but operates as a mechanism of exclusion. Through the lens of SRT, this reflects a dominant representation in which disability is positioned outside the sphere of policy concern, thereby legitimizing its omission. However, this representation was not passively accepted. During participatory mapping exercises, participants began to reframe data itself as a site of agency. Several groups proposed and initiated community-led mapping of YPWD, transforming the absence of data into an opportunity for intervention: “We started identifying who is in our community. If government does not have the data, we will create it ourselves.” (P7) This moment reflects a critical shift in objectification: policy is no longer seen solely as an external structure but as something that can be influenced through grassroots knowledge production. In this way, invisibility is actively contested and reconfigured into visibility through collective action. Healthcare systems as sites of exclusion and innovation Experiences of healthcare during climate-related events, particularly floods and disease outbreaks were initially articulated through narratives of exclusion, delay, and neglect. Disability was anchored to helplessness within crisis contexts, where participants described being unable to access services due to physical and institutional barriers. “When floods come, clinics are far, and even when you get there, they are not prepared for someone like you.” (P5) These experiences were not limited to infrastructure but extended to social interactions within healthcare systems. Participants described being deprioritized or misunderstood by healthcare providers, reinforcing a representation of disability as “too complex” or “secondary” in emergency situations. Through SRT, these dynamics can be understood as the objectification of disability through inaccessible systems and discriminatory practices, which reproduce exclusion in material form. Yet, the participatory process facilitated a reframing of healthcare not only as a barrier but as a domain open to transformation. Participants drew on their lived experiences to propose concrete, context-specific interventions, including mobile clinics, disability-sensitive triage systems, and peer-led training for healthcare workers. “We know the gaps because we live them. That means we also know how to fix them.” (P9) What is significant here is not only the solutions themselves but the shift in representation: disability is no longer anchored to helplessness but to experiential expertise. Healthcare becomes re-objectified as a system that can be reshaped through the inclusion of YPWD knowledge. Communication systems and the politics of accessibility Communication emerged as a critical domain where exclusion is both pervasive and normalized. Participants consistently highlighted that climate information such as early warnings for floods or heatwaves is disseminated through channels that assume able-bodied users. “Warnings come on the radio, but if you cannot hear, you are already left behind.” (P2) This reflects an anchoring of communication systems to able-bodied norms, where accessibility is treated as an exception rather than a standard. The result is a form of epistemic exclusion, where YPWD are systematically excluded from information that is essential for survival and adaptation. Participatory discussions revealed how these systems are experienced not only as inconvenient but as actively dangerous, particularly in emergency contexts. However, similar to other domains, participants did not remain within this framing. Instead, they articulated and began to prototype multi-modal communication approaches, including visual tools, audio technologies, and community-based dissemination systems. “We can design messages in different ways so that everyone can understand, not just some people.” (P8) This shift illustrates a re-objectification of communication systems from fixed infrastructures to adaptable, user-centered processes. It also highlights how YPWD position themselves as contributors to innovation rather than passive recipients of information. Economic marginalization and adaptive livelihoods Climate change was widely described as exacerbating existing economic precarity, particularly for YPWD engaged in informal livelihoods. Droughts, floods, and resource scarcity disrupted income-generating activities, reinforcing a representation of disability as economically dependent. “When the environment changes, our small businesses suffer first, and we have no backup.” (P4) Participants linked these challenges to broader structural barriers, including limited access to financial support, training, and adaptive tools. Through SRT, this reflects an anchoring of disability within economic systems as non-productive or marginal. However, participatory engagement revealed a parallel narrative of innovation. Participants described developing adaptive strategies using locally available materials, forming cooperative groups, and sharing skills within their communities. “We are finding ways to adapt what we have. We don’t wait, we try things.” (P15) This represents a critical re-anchoring of disability from dependency to resourcefulness and creativity. Economic adaptation is re-objectified not as external assistance but as locally driven practice, grounded in collective action and knowledge-sharing. From exclusion to leadership: participation in decision-making Across discussions, participants emphasized their exclusion from decision-making processes related to climate adaptation. Governance structures were described as distant and inaccessible, reinforcing a representation of YPWD as passive beneficiaries rather than active contributors. “Decisions are made for us, not with us.” (P1) This reflects a broader anchoring of disability within governance systems as non-participatory, which is then objectified through the absence of representation in committees, consultations, and policy processes. Through the PAR process, however, participants began to articulate alternative roles for themselves as leaders and advocates. Initiatives such as youth councils, advocacy groups, and direct engagement with local authorities were proposed and, in some cases, initiated. “If we are not invited, we will create our own spaces and make them listen.” (P6) This marks a significant transformation in representation, where YPWD move from positions of exclusion to active political agency, reshaping governance as a space in which they have a legitimate and necessary role. Cross-cutting transformation: reconfiguring disability and adaptation Across all domains, the most significant finding is the transformation of how disability and climate adaptation are understood. Initially anchored to vulnerability, dependency, and invisibility, disability was progressively re-anchored as: a source of knowledge a basis for innovation a foundation for leadership Simultaneously, climate adaptation was redefined from a top-down, externally driven process to a participatory, community-based practice. This transformation was not merely discursive but was accompanied by concrete actions, including: community-led data collection inclusive healthcare proposals accessible communication strategies adaptive livelihood initiatives advocacy and governance engagement These findings demonstrate that YPWD are not only disproportionately affected by climate change but are also central actors in shaping adaptive responses, challenging dominant narratives that position them solely as vulnerable populations. Discussion This study provides empirical and theoretical insights into how young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience, interpret, and actively reshape the intersection of climate change and disability. The findings demonstrate that vulnerability is not an inherent attribute of disability but is produced through historically embedded social, institutional, and epistemic processes that structure exclusion. At the same time, the study shows that these processes are neither fixed nor uncontested. Through participatory engagement, dominant representations can be destabilized and reconstituted, enabling alternative understandings of disability and climate adaptation to emerge. A central contribution of this study lies in its extension of Social Representations Theory into a postcolonial and disability-inclusive context. Social Representations Theory has traditionally been used to explain how shared meanings are constructed and stabilized within societies [ 27 ]. In this study, it provides a lens to examine how disability is initially anchored to narratives of dependency, incapacity, and invisibility, and subsequently objectified through exclusionary systems such as inaccessible infrastructure, limited policy inclusion, and restricted participation in governance. These findings are consistent with existing work in disability studies, which has shown that disability is frequently constructed through deficit-oriented frameworks that obscure the role of social and structural barriers [ 15 , 16 , 31 ]. However, this study advances the application of Social Representations Theory by demonstrating how these representations are actively contested and transformed through participatory processes. Rather than treating representations as relatively stable cognitive schemas, the findings illustrate their dynamic and negotiated nature, particularly in contexts marked by inequality and historical marginalization. Through Participatory Action Research, participants engaged in processes of collective reflection that enabled the re-anchoring of disability as a source of knowledge, resilience, and innovation. This transformation aligns with emerging scholarship that emphasizes the role of marginalized groups in reshaping dominant discourses and producing alternative epistemologies [ 25 , 32 ]. It also suggests that Social Representations Theory can be productively extended by incorporating participatory and action-oriented dimensions that foreground agency and transformation. The findings further contribute to debates in climate justice by challenging dominant framings of vulnerability. Climate change research has consistently highlighted the disproportionate impacts of environmental stressors on marginalized populations, including persons with disabilities [ 19 , 20 , 33 ]. However, much of this literature continues to position these groups primarily as passive victims, reinforcing what has been described as a “vulnerability paradigm” that risks obscuring agency and adaptive capacity [ 34 ]. The results of this study complicate this narrative by demonstrating that YPWD possess contextually grounded knowledge and actively develop adaptive strategies in response to climate-related challenges. This supports calls within climate justice scholarship to move beyond deficit-based approaches and to recognize the role of marginalized populations as agents of change [ 20 , 35 ]. Importantly, the findings reveal that exclusion operates across multiple and interconnected domains, including policy, healthcare, communication, economic systems, and governance. These domains interact in ways that reinforce marginalization, creating cumulative and intersectional vulnerabilities. For example, the absence of disability-disaggregated data limits the visibility of YPWD in policy processes, which in turn contributes to the design of inaccessible services and communication systems. This interconnectedness reflects broader critiques of technocratic approaches to climate adaptation, which often prioritize infrastructural solutions while neglecting underlying social inequalities [ 3 , 36 ]. The study therefore reinforces the argument that effective climate adaptation requires systemic and intersectional approaches that address structural determinants rather than isolated symptoms. The participatory nature of the research is central to these insights. By positioning YPWD as co-researchers, the study disrupts conventional hierarchies of knowledge production that privilege external expertise over lived experience. This aligns with longstanding critiques of extractive research practices in the Global South, where knowledge is often produced about marginalized communities without their meaningful involvement [ 32 , 37 ]. Participatory Action Research offers an alternative approach that emphasizes co-production, reflexivity, and action, enabling participants to move beyond articulation of problems toward the development of solutions. In this study, participatory processes facilitated not only the identification of barriers but also the generation of practical interventions, including inclusive communication systems, adaptive livelihood strategies, and community-led advocacy initiatives. The integration of decolonial perspectives further deepens the analytical contribution of the study. The findings illustrate how colonial legacies continue to shape both environmental governance and representations of disability in Zimbabwe. Colonial and postcolonial development models have historically prioritized extractive economic systems and external knowledge frameworks, often marginalizing local epistemologies and reinforcing hierarchical power relations [ 29 , 30 , 38 ]. Within this context, disability has been constructed through biomedical and charitable models that emphasize deficit and dependency, while climate adaptation has often been framed through technocratic and externally driven approaches [ 15 , 36 ]. By foregrounding the lived experiences of YPWD and incorporating relational frameworks such as ubuntu, this study challenges these dominant paradigms and highlights the importance of locally grounded, contextually relevant approaches to resilience. At the same time, the study adopts a critical stance toward decolonial and cultural frameworks. While concepts such as ubuntu emphasize interdependence and collective responsibility, they do not automatically translate into inclusive practices. Previous research has shown that local cultural norms can also reproduce exclusion, particularly along gendered and ability-based lines [ 17 , 39 ]. The findings of this study reflect this complexity, illustrating both the potential and the limitations of community-based approaches. This underscores the importance of critically engaging with local epistemologies rather than treating them as inherently inclusive. From a policy perspective, the findings have several important implications. First, there is a need to systematically integrate disability-disaggregated data into climate and health information systems to ensure that YPWD are visible within planning and resource allocation processes. Second, climate adaptation strategies must prioritize accessibility across infrastructure, communication, and service delivery, moving beyond generic inclusion statements toward concrete implementation mechanisms. Third, the meaningful participation of YPWD in decision-making processes should be institutionalized through mechanisms such as quotas, advisory bodies, and participatory governance structures. These recommendations align with international frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which emphasizes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which calls for inclusive and people-centered approaches to resilience. Despite these contributions, the study has limitations that should be acknowledged. The research was conducted through a single workshop in an urban setting, which may limit the extent to which the findings capture the experiences of YPWD in rural areas, where climate impacts and service access may differ significantly. While efforts were made to include participants with diverse backgrounds, certain perspectives may remain underrepresented. In addition, while the participatory approach enabled rich and contextually grounded insights, the short-term nature of the engagement limits the ability to assess the long-term sustainability of the observed transformations in social representations and practices. Future research should build on these findings by adopting longitudinal participatory designs that can examine how representations and adaptive strategies evolve over time. Comparative studies across different regions and contexts would also be valuable in identifying both context-specific dynamics and broader patterns in the intersection of climate change and disability. Furthermore, there is a need for greater attention to intersectionality, particularly in relation to gender, class, and rurality, to better understand how multiple forms of marginalization shape climate experiences and adaptive capacity [ 19 , 21 ]. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that young people with disabilities are not peripheral to climate adaptation but are central to its reconfiguration. By integrating Social Representations Theory with Participatory Action Research and decolonial perspectives, the study provides a novel framework for understanding how dominant narratives of vulnerability can be challenged and transformed. The findings highlight the importance of moving beyond inclusion as representation toward inclusion as transformation, where marginalized groups are recognized as producers of knowledge and agents of change in the development of equitable and sustainable climate futures. Conclusion This study has examined how young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience and respond to climate change, and how these experiences are shaped by and embedded within broader systems of representation, exclusion, and inequality. The findings demonstrate that vulnerability is not inherent to disability but is produced through structural barriers, including inaccessible infrastructure, exclusionary policies, and limited participation in decision-making processes. At the same time, the study shows that these conditions are not static. Through participatory engagement, dominant representations of disability as dependency and incapacity can be challenged and transformed. By integrating Social Representations Theory with Participatory Action Research, this study provides new insights into how meanings of disability and climate adaptation are constructed and reconfigured. The findings highlight a shift from deficit-based representations toward understandings of disability as a source of knowledge, resilience, and innovation. Importantly, this transformation is not only conceptual but is reflected in the development of practical, context-specific strategies, including community-led data initiatives, inclusive communication systems, adaptive livelihood practices, and youth-driven advocacy mechanisms. The study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating that young people with disabilities are not merely affected by climate change but are actively engaged in shaping adaptive responses. This challenges dominant approaches that position marginalized populations primarily as vulnerable beneficiaries and underscores the importance of recognizing their role as knowledge producers and agents of change. It also extends Social Representations Theory by illustrating how participatory processes can facilitate shifts in both meaning and practice, particularly in contexts characterized by historical marginalization and inequality. From a policy perspective, the findings underscore the need for more inclusive and responsive climate adaptation strategies. This includes the integration of disability-disaggregated data into planning processes, the prioritization of accessibility across systems and services, and the institutionalization of meaningful participation of young people with disabilities in decision-making structures. Without such measures, adaptation efforts risk reproducing existing inequalities and excluding those most affected by climate change. While the study is context-specific, its implications extend beyond Zimbabwe. It highlights the importance of moving beyond inclusion as a symbolic objective toward inclusion as a transformative process that reshapes how knowledge is produced, whose voices are heard, and how decisions are made. Future research should build on these insights through longitudinal and comparative approaches to better understand how these transformations can be sustained and scaled across different contexts. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that equitable climate adaptation requires not only technical solutions but also a reconfiguration of the social representations and power relations that underpin exclusion. Centering the voices and experiences of young people with disabilities is essential to advancing more just, inclusive, and sustainable responses to climate change. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Ethical approval was obtained from the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe. All participants provided informed consent in accessible formats prior to participation. Consent for publication Not applicable. Availability of data and materials Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Funding The study received no external funding Authors’ contributions CM conceptualized the study, led data collection and analysis, and drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed to revisions and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Danhiko Project and all participating young people with disabilities for their invaluable contributions to this research. References IPCC. Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2022. World Health Organization. Climate change and health. Geneva: WHO; 2023. United Nations Development Programme. Climate change adaptation in Zimbabwe. Harare: UNDP; 2024. Zimbabwe Ministry of Health. and Child Care. Annual health report. Harare; 2024. World Health Organization. Climate and health country profile: Zimbabwe. 2023. World Bank. Poverty and equity data: Zimbabwe. Washington DC; 2025. Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency. Poverty report 2025. Harare; 2025. International Energy Agency. Africa energy outlook. Paris; 2024. International Telecommunication Union. Measuring digital development. Geneva; 2025. United Nations OCHA. Zimbabwe drought update. 2024. UNICEF. Zimbabwe humanitarian situation report. 2025. Ministry of Public Service. Labour and Social Welfare. Disability report. Harare; 2023. UNESCO. Education and disability global report. Paris; 2024. World Health Organization. Disability and climate risk report. 2023. Grech S. Disability and poverty in the Global South. Disabil Soc. 2015;30(6):891–907. Meekosha H. Decolonising disability. Disabil Soc. 2011;26(6):669–82. Chataika T. Disability, development and postcolonialism. Disability in the Global South. Springer; 2012. pp. 67–83. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Disability inclusion in DRR. 2024. Kaijser A, Kronsell A. Climate change through the lens of intersectionality. Environ Polit. 2014;23(3):417–33. Schlosberg D, Collins L. From environmental to climate justice. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Clim Change. 2014;5(3):359–74. UN Women. Gender, disability and climate change. 2024. Dodman D, Leck H, Rusca M. Climate adaptation in African cities. Environ Urban. 2022;34(1):123–40. Mutambisi T, Nyikahadzoi K, Mukamuri B. Climate adaptation in Zimbabwe. J Environ Manage. 2023;325:116–30. Chiwandire D, Vincent L. Disability inclusion in Zimbabwe. Afr J Disabil. 2019;8:1–10. Kindon S, Pain R, Kesby M. Participatory action research methods. London: Routledge; 2007. Reason P, Bradbury H. Handbook of action research. London: Sage; 2008. Moscovici S. Social representations: Explorations in social psychology. Cambridge: Polity; 2000. Quijano A. Coloniality of power and knowledge. Cultural Studies. 2000. Mignolo W. The darker side of Western modernity. Durham: Duke University Press; 2011. Rodney W. How Europe underdeveloped Africa. London: Bogle-L’Ouverture; 1972. Shakespeare T. Disability: The basics. London: Routledge; 2018. Tuck E, Yang KW. Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization. 2012;1(1):1–40. IPCC. AR6 synthesis report. 2023. Nixon R. Slow violence and environmentalism. Harvard University Press; 2011. Sultana F. Decolonizing climate change. Ann Am Assoc Geogr. 2022;112(4):1023–37. Escobar A. Designs for the pluriverse. Duke University Press; 2018. Spivak G. Can the subaltern speak? 1988. Mbembe A, Necropolitics. Duke University Press; 2019. Erevelles N. Disability and difference in global contexts. Palgrave; 2011. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9176068","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":630579812,"identity":"ed839e06-453c-408a-8f96-3e3e3b33d281","order_by":0,"name":"Choolwe Mphanza Muzyamba","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA2UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwSD+QCQkpAhRQtbAkgLDylaeMBswlrMpU+nSf5ss4s2Zz/z+dWNGgseBvbDRzfg02LZl7tNQrItOXdnT+4265xjQIfxpKXdwOuwM7zbJAzbmHM3HMjdZpzDBtQiwWNGWEtiW33uhvNvnhnn/CNWy8G2w7kbbuQwP85tI0KLZQ/vZsuGc8dzd854Zsac2yfBw0bIL+Y8vBtv/iirzt3On/z4c863Ojl+9sPH8GoBA0Y2MMUmASYJKgeDP2CS+QNxqkfBKBgFo2CkAQDgU0ik9P8SOQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Johannesburg","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Choolwe","middleName":"Mphanza","lastName":"Muzyamba","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-20 07:34:52","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9176068/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9176068/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108491547,"identity":"4c93cdaa-00a7-4083-928f-c7becb819b44","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-05 09:54:29","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":273025,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9176068/v1/7bb92a40-c54c-402a-8299-f1c202e3bcf3.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Advancing inclusive climate adaptation through participatory action research with young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eClimate change is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of health inequities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where environmental stressors intersect with structural vulnerabilities [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. In Zimbabwe, climate-related hazards including recurrent droughts, flooding, and extreme heat events, have intensified over the past decade, contributing to food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and disruptions to livelihoods [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. These impacts are not evenly distributed but are mediated through socio-economic inequalities that shape exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity across populations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eZimbabwe\u0026rsquo;s socio-economic context further amplifies these risks. Recent estimates indicate that approximately 60% of the population lives below the international poverty line, with rural populations, comprising nearly two-thirds of the population facing persistent infrastructural deficits, including limited access to electricity, healthcare services, and digital connectivity [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR7 CR8\" citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. Climate variability, including El Ni\u0026ntilde;o-induced droughts, has exacerbated food insecurity and water scarcity, placing millions in need of humanitarian assistance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. In such contexts, climate change operates not as an isolated environmental phenomenon but as a multiplier of existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting populations already marginalized by structural and historical processes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong these populations, young people with disabilities (YPWD) remain largely invisible in both research and policy. Persons with disabilities are estimated to constitute between 7% and 11% of Zimbabwe\u0026rsquo;s population, yet access to education, employment, and healthcare remains significantly constrained [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. For young people, these barriers are particularly pronounced, with limited access to inclusive education and few opportunities for economic participation. Climate-related shocks further intensify these challenges by disrupting already fragile service systems and exacerbating barriers to mobility, communication, and healthcare access [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. For instance, inaccessible infrastructure and emergency response systems can prevent YPWD from accessing life-saving services during floods, droughts, or disease outbreaks.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImportantly, vulnerability in this context is not solely a function of environmental exposure but is socially produced through systems of representation, governance, and resource allocation. Disability is frequently framed within dominant policy and societal discourses as a condition of dependency, incapacity, or tragedy, reflecting historical legacies rooted in colonial and biomedical models [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. These representations are not merely descriptive but actively shape institutional practices, often resulting in the exclusion of YPWD from decision-making processes, including those related to climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. As a result, adaptation strategies frequently fail to account for the lived realities and specific needs of YPWD, reinforcing cycles of marginalization.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe intersection of climate change and disability therefore reflects a complex interplay between environmental risk and social inequality. Climate-related shocks disrupt livelihoods, increase exposure to health risks, and intensify pressures on already constrained public services, with disproportionate impacts on individuals with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]. These vulnerabilities are further compounded by intersecting factors such as gender and rurality. Young women with disabilities, for example, often face heightened risks of gender-based violence, social exclusion, and limited access to resources during climate-induced displacement [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. Such intersectional dynamics underscore the need for analytical approaches that move beyond generalized notions of vulnerability to account for layered and context-specific forms of marginalization.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite growing attention to climate adaptation in Zimbabwe and across sub-Saharan Africa, a significant gap remains in research that centers YPWD as active participants in adaptation processes. Existing studies have largely focused on generalized community vulnerability or on specific demographic groups such as women and rural populations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. While these studies provide important insights, they often adopt top-down, expert-driven approaches that position affected populations as passive recipients of interventions rather than as knowledge holders and agents of change [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. Furthermore, limited attention has been paid to how dominant representations of disability shape both policy responses and research agendas, particularly within postcolonial contexts where knowledge production is frequently influenced by external frameworks.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study addresses these gaps by adopting a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that foregrounds the voices and agency of YPWD. PAR is particularly suited to contexts characterized by marginalization and power asymmetries, as it emphasizes co-production of knowledge, collective reflection, and action-oriented outcomes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. By engaging YPWD as co-researchers, the study challenges conventional hierarchies of knowledge production and creates space for alternative epistemologies rooted in lived experience and local context.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, this study is theoretically grounded in Social Representations Theory (SRT), which provides a framework for understanding how shared meanings about disability and climate adaptation are constructed, maintained, and transformed within specific socio-cultural contexts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. SRT is particularly useful for examining how disability is anchored to dominant narratives, such as vulnerability or dependency, and how these narratives become objectified in policies, practices, and material conditions. By integrating SRT with PAR, this study moves beyond documenting vulnerability to examining how such representations can be actively contested and reconfigured through participatory processes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe aim of this study is to explore how young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience and respond to climate change, and to examine how participatory processes can transform dominant social representations of disability from vulnerability and dependency toward resilience, innovation, and leadership in the context of climate adaptation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBy situating YPWD at the center of analysis, this study contributes to emerging debates on climate justice, disability inclusion, and decolonial research methodologies. It advances the argument that inclusive climate adaptation requires not only technical interventions but also a transformation of the social representations and power structures that underpin exclusion. In doing so, it provides both empirical and theoretical insights that are relevant for policy, practice, and future research in Zimbabwe and comparable settings.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Theoretical Framework","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study is theoretically grounded in Social Representations Theory (SRT), which provides a framework for understanding how shared meanings are constructed, negotiated, and transformed within specific social contexts. Originally developed by Moscovici [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e], SRT examines how individuals and groups make sense of unfamiliar or complex phenomena by anchoring them to existing cultural frameworks and objectifying them into concrete, socially recognizable forms. These processes shape not only perceptions but also practices, institutional arrangements, and power relations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the context of this study, SRT is applied to examine how disability and climate change are collectively understood among young people with disabilities (YPWD) in Zimbabwe, as well as within broader societal and policy discourses. Disability is often anchored to dominant cultural narratives of dependency, incapacity, and tragedy, which are historically rooted in colonial and biomedical models [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. These representations are subsequently objectified in material and institutional forms, including inaccessible infrastructure, exclusionary policy frameworks, and limited participation of YPWD in decision-making processes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. Similarly, climate adaptation is frequently framed through technocratic and externally driven approaches that prioritize infrastructure and economic efficiency, often overlooking lived experiences and local knowledge systems [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSRT is particularly useful in this study for analyzing how such representations are not fixed but are actively negotiated and contested. Through participatory processes, individuals and groups can challenge dominant meanings and reconfigure them in ways that reflect their lived realities. In this sense, SRT provides a lens to examine not only how exclusion is reproduced but also how it can be transformed. By focusing on processes of anchoring and objectification, the study explores how YPWD reinterpret disability as a source of adaptive knowledge, resilience, and innovation within climate-affected contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, the application of SRT in this study is critically extended through engagement with postcolonial and decolonial perspectives. While SRT offers valuable insights into meaning-making processes, it has been critiqued for its origins in Eurocentric epistemological traditions, which may insufficiently account for the historical and structural dimensions of knowledge production in postcolonial settings [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. In Zimbabwe, colonial legacies have profoundly shaped both environmental governance and representations of disability, often privileging Western models of development while marginalizing indigenous and experiential forms of knowledge [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. As such, this study adopts a decolonial approach that seeks to situate social representations within broader structures of power, history, and inequality.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCentral to this decolonial orientation is the incorporation of relational and community-based epistemologies, including the concept of \u003cem\u003eubuntu\u003c/em\u003e, which emphasizes interdependence, collective responsibility, and shared humanity. Ubuntu provides an alternative lens through which disability can be understood not as individual deficit but as part of a broader social and relational system. At the same time, this study critically engages with such frameworks to avoid romanticizing cultural norms, recognizing that local contexts may also reproduce exclusionary practices, particularly along lines of gender and ability [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, the study draws on insights from disability studies and climate justice frameworks to further deepen the analysis. The social model of disability conceptualizes disability not as an individual impairment but as a product of social, environmental, and institutional barriers [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. This perspective is particularly relevant in climate contexts, where vulnerability is shaped by the interaction between environmental hazards and inaccessible systems. Climate justice frameworks, meanwhile, emphasize the unequal distribution of climate impacts and advocate for inclusive, equitable adaptation strategies that prioritize marginalized populations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]. Together, these perspectives reinforce the need to move beyond deficit-based understandings of disability and toward recognition of YPWD as active agents in resilience-building.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBy integrating SRT with participatory and decolonial approaches, this study develops a conceptual framework that enables analysis at multiple levels. First, it examines how dominant representations of disability and climate adaptation are produced and maintained. Second, it explores how these representations are contested and transformed through participatory engagement with YPWD. Third, it considers how such transformations can inform more inclusive and equitable climate adaptation strategies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrough this theoretical synthesis, the study contributes to extending SRT into postcolonial and disability-inclusive contexts, demonstrating its relevance for analyzing power, representation, and agency in climate adaptation. It also provides a foundation for understanding how participatory processes can serve not only as methodological tools but as mechanisms for transforming the social meanings that underpin exclusion.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":" \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study employed a qualitative research design grounded in Participatory Action Research (PAR). PAR was selected due to its emphasis on collaboration, co-production of knowledge, and action-oriented inquiry, particularly suited to research involving marginalized populations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. Unlike conventional qualitative approaches that position participants as subjects of study, PAR actively engages participants as co-researchers, enabling them to identify priorities, contribute to data generation, and co-develop solutions. This approach aligns with the study\u0026rsquo;s objective of examining not only experiences of climate change among young people with disabilities (YPWD) but also how these experiences can inform transformative and inclusive adaptation strategies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study was conducted in February 2025 in Harare, Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Danhiko Project, a local organization working with persons with disabilities. The PAR process was structured around a workshop-based engagement, designed to facilitate iterative cycles of reflection, dialogue, and collective problem-solving.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy setting\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research was conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe\u0026rsquo;s capital city, which represents a key urban context where climate-related risks such as flooding, heat stress, and water insecurity intersect with socio-economic inequalities. While the study was urban-based, participants included individuals with both urban and rural backgrounds, enabling reflection on diverse climate experiences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e The Danhiko Project provided an accessible venue and logistical support, including sign language interpretation and coordination with participants. The organization\u0026rsquo;s long-standing engagement with disability communities facilitated trust-building and inclusive participation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eParticipants and sampling\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study involved over 30 young people with disabilities aged 18\u0026ndash;24 years. A purposive sampling strategy was used to ensure diversity across:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003etypes of disability (physical, visual, hearing, cognitive)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003egender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003esocio-economic backgrounds\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eurban and rural experiences\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Snowball sampling was used to extend recruitment through participant networks.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInclusion criteria were:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eaged between 18 and 24 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eself-identifying as a person with a disability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ewillingness to participate in participatory group activities\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEfforts were made to ensure gender balance and representation of young women with disabilities, given their heightened vulnerability in climate contexts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRecruitment materials and processes were adapted to ensure accessibility, including the use of sign language, simplified language formats, and verbal explanations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eData collection\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData were generated through a structured PAR workshop held on 10 February 2025. The workshop incorporated multiple participatory methods to capture diverse forms of knowledge and experience, consistent with PAR principles of inclusivity and co-production [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStorytelling\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants shared personal narratives of climate-related experiences, including droughts, floods, and health challenges. Storytelling enabled the exploration of lived realities and how participants interpret and make sense of climate risks.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipatory mapping\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants worked in small groups to visually map their communities, identifying climate-related risks, barriers to access (e.g., inaccessible evacuation routes), and available resources. This method facilitated the externalization of abstract concepts into tangible representations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFocus group discussions (FGDs)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants were divided into groups based on thematic areas such as:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ehealthcare access\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003edisaster preparedness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eeconomic livelihoods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEach discussion lasted approximately 45\u0026ndash;60 minutes and was guided by semi-structured prompts informed by Social Representations Theory (SRT), focusing on how disability and climate change are understood and experienced.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsensus-building exercises\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFindings from group discussions were presented in plenary sessions, where participants collectively identified priorities and co-developed solutions. These sessions enabled negotiation of shared meanings and the co-production of actionable strategies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll discussions were conducted in local languages (Shona and Ndebele) with translation into English where necessary. Data were audio-recorded with participant consent and supplemented by field notes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccessibility measures included:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003esign language interpreters\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003elarge-print materials\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eflexible facilitation approaches\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eData analysis was guided by Social Representations Theory (SRT) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e] and conducted using thematic analysis. The analytical process involved several stages:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1. Data familiarization\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAudio recordings were transcribed and translated into English. Transcripts and visual materials (e.g., maps) were reviewed to ensure accuracy and completeness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2. Inductive coding\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eData were coded inductively to identify recurring themes related to climate experiences, barriers, and adaptive strategies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3. SRT-informed analysis\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCodes were further analyzed to examine processes of:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eanchoring (e.g., linking disability to dependency or resilience)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eobjectification (e.g., material expressions such as inaccessible systems or community-led solutions)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis allowed for analysis of how social meanings are constructed and transformed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4. Participatory validation\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreliminary findings were shared with participants for feedback (member-checking), ensuring that interpretations accurately reflected their perspectives. This step also enabled refinement of themes through collective discussion.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5. Triangulation\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eData from different methods (storytelling, mapping, FGDs) were triangulated to enhance credibility and depth of analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNVivo software was used to support data organization and coding.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTrustworthiness\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeveral strategies were employed to ensure rigor:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eCredibility: achieved through prolonged engagement, triangulation, and member-checking\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependability: ensured through systematic documentation of methods and analytical steps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eConfirmability: supported by reflexive practices and collaborative analysis with participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTransferability: enhanced through detailed contextual descriptions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEthical considerations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e for this study was obtained from the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ) in accordance with national guidelines and regulations for research involving human participants. The study was approved under reference number MRCZ/A/3267. All methods were performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national and institutional guidelines and regulations for research involving human participants. All participants provided informed consent in accessible formats. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw at any stage without consequence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConfidentiality was maintained through anonymization of data, and identifiers were removed from transcripts. Psychosocial support was made available through partnerships with the Danhiko Project for participants who experienced distress during discussions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn line with the principle of \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;nothing about us without us,\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e participants were recognized as co-researchers, and efforts were made to ensure meaningful inclusion throughout the research process. Participants received compensation to cover transport and participation costs.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings of this study reveal a dynamic process through which young people with disabilities (YPWD) in Zimbabwe both experience and actively reinterpret the intersection of climate change and disability. Rather than presenting static categories of barriers, the results demonstrate how dominant social representations anchored in vulnerability, dependency, and invisibility are produced, reinforced, and subsequently contested through participatory engagement.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcross the participatory activities, a clear trajectory emerged: participants initially articulated experiences shaped by exclusionary systems and deficit-based representations of disability. However, through collective reflection and dialogue, these meanings were progressively reworked. Using Social Representations Theory (SRT), this shift can be understood as a transformation in both anchoring (from dependency to capability) and objectification (from exclusionary systems to locally grounded, inclusive practices).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis process unfolded across five interrelated domains: policy exclusion, healthcare access, communication systems, economic livelihoods, and participation in decision-making. Importantly, these domains were not experienced in isolation but were deeply interconnected, reflecting the layered and intersectional nature of climate vulnerability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eReproducing and contesting invisibility: disability in policy and governance\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants\u0026rsquo; initial accounts consistently framed climate and health policies as spaces of absence sites where disability is not merely overlooked but structurally excluded. Disability was anchored to invisibility, not only in terms of representation but also in terms of data, recognition, and policy relevance.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis invisibility was repeatedly linked to the absence of disability-disaggregated data, which participants understood as both a technical and political issue. As one participant noted:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;If we are not counted, we are not planned for. It\u0026rsquo;s like we don\u0026rsquo;t exist in these policies.\u0026rdquo; (P3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHere, invisibility is not simply descriptive but operates as a mechanism of exclusion. Through the lens of SRT, this reflects a dominant representation in which disability is positioned outside the sphere of policy concern, thereby legitimizing its omission.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, this representation was not passively accepted. During participatory mapping exercises, participants began to reframe data itself as a site of agency. Several groups proposed and initiated community-led mapping of YPWD, transforming the absence of data into an opportunity for intervention:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;We started identifying who is in our community. If government does not have the data, we will create it ourselves.\u0026rdquo; (P7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis moment reflects a critical shift in objectification: policy is no longer seen solely as an external structure but as something that can be influenced through grassroots knowledge production. In this way, invisibility is actively contested and reconfigured into visibility through collective action.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eHealthcare systems as sites of exclusion and innovation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperiences of healthcare during climate-related events, particularly floods and disease outbreaks were initially articulated through narratives of exclusion, delay, and neglect. Disability was anchored to helplessness within crisis contexts, where participants described being unable to access services due to physical and institutional barriers.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;When floods come, clinics are far, and even when you get there, they are not prepared for someone like you.\u0026rdquo; (P5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese experiences were not limited to infrastructure but extended to social interactions within healthcare systems. Participants described being deprioritized or misunderstood by healthcare providers, reinforcing a representation of disability as \u0026ldquo;too complex\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;secondary\u0026rdquo; in emergency situations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrough SRT, these dynamics can be understood as the objectification of disability through inaccessible systems and discriminatory practices, which reproduce exclusion in material form.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYet, the participatory process facilitated a reframing of healthcare not only as a barrier but as a domain open to transformation. Participants drew on their lived experiences to propose concrete, context-specific interventions, including mobile clinics, disability-sensitive triage systems, and peer-led training for healthcare workers.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;We know the gaps because we live them. That means we also know how to fix them.\u0026rdquo; (P9)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat is significant here is not only the solutions themselves but the shift in representation: disability is no longer anchored to helplessness but to experiential expertise. Healthcare becomes re-objectified as a system that can be reshaped through the inclusion of YPWD knowledge.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCommunication systems and the politics of accessibility\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommunication emerged as a critical domain where exclusion is both pervasive and normalized. Participants consistently highlighted that climate information such as early warnings for floods or heatwaves is disseminated through channels that assume able-bodied users.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Warnings come on the radio, but if you cannot hear, you are already left behind.\u0026rdquo; (P2)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis reflects an anchoring of communication systems to able-bodied norms, where accessibility is treated as an exception rather than a standard. The result is a form of epistemic exclusion, where YPWD are systematically excluded from information that is essential for survival and adaptation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipatory discussions revealed how these systems are experienced not only as inconvenient but as actively dangerous, particularly in emergency contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, similar to other domains, participants did not remain within this framing. Instead, they articulated and began to prototype multi-modal communication approaches, including visual tools, audio technologies, and community-based dissemination systems.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;We can design messages in different ways so that everyone can understand, not just some people.\u0026rdquo; (P8)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis shift illustrates a re-objectification of communication systems from fixed infrastructures to adaptable, user-centered processes. It also highlights how YPWD position themselves as contributors to innovation rather than passive recipients of information.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEconomic marginalization and adaptive livelihoods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eClimate change was widely described as exacerbating existing economic precarity, particularly for YPWD engaged in informal livelihoods. Droughts, floods, and resource scarcity disrupted income-generating activities, reinforcing a representation of disability as economically dependent.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;When the environment changes, our small businesses suffer first, and we have no backup.\u0026rdquo; (P4)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants linked these challenges to broader structural barriers, including limited access to financial support, training, and adaptive tools. Through SRT, this reflects an anchoring of disability within economic systems as non-productive or marginal.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, participatory engagement revealed a parallel narrative of innovation. Participants described developing adaptive strategies using locally available materials, forming cooperative groups, and sharing skills within their communities.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;We are finding ways to adapt what we have. We don\u0026rsquo;t wait, we try things.\u0026rdquo; (P15)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis represents a critical re-anchoring of disability from dependency to resourcefulness and creativity. Economic adaptation is re-objectified not as external assistance but as locally driven practice, grounded in collective action and knowledge-sharing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFrom exclusion to leadership: participation in decision-making\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcross discussions, participants emphasized their exclusion from decision-making processes related to climate adaptation. Governance structures were described as distant and inaccessible, reinforcing a representation of YPWD as passive beneficiaries rather than active contributors.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Decisions are made for us, not with us.\u0026rdquo; (P1)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis reflects a broader anchoring of disability within governance systems as non-participatory, which is then objectified through the absence of representation in committees, consultations, and policy processes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrough the PAR process, however, participants began to articulate alternative roles for themselves as leaders and advocates. Initiatives such as youth councils, advocacy groups, and direct engagement with local authorities were proposed and, in some cases, initiated.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;If we are not invited, we will create our own spaces and make them listen.\u0026rdquo; (P6)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis marks a significant transformation in representation, where YPWD move from positions of exclusion to active political agency, reshaping governance as a space in which they have a legitimate and necessary role.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCross-cutting transformation: reconfiguring disability and adaptation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcross all domains, the most significant finding is the transformation of how disability and climate adaptation are understood. Initially anchored to vulnerability, dependency, and invisibility, disability was progressively re-anchored as:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ea source of knowledge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ea basis for innovation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ea foundation for leadership\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimultaneously, climate adaptation was redefined from a top-down, externally driven process to a participatory, community-based practice.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis transformation was not merely discursive but was accompanied by concrete actions, including:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ecommunity-led data collection\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003einclusive healthcare proposals\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eaccessible communication strategies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eadaptive livelihood initiatives\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eadvocacy and governance engagement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese findings demonstrate that YPWD are not only disproportionately affected by climate change but are also central actors in shaping adaptive responses, challenging dominant narratives that position them solely as vulnerable populations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study provides empirical and theoretical insights into how young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience, interpret, and actively reshape the intersection of climate change and disability. The findings demonstrate that vulnerability is not an inherent attribute of disability but is produced through historically embedded social, institutional, and epistemic processes that structure exclusion. At the same time, the study shows that these processes are neither fixed nor uncontested. Through participatory engagement, dominant representations can be destabilized and reconstituted, enabling alternative understandings of disability and climate adaptation to emerge.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA central contribution of this study lies in its extension of Social Representations Theory into a postcolonial and disability-inclusive context. Social Representations Theory has traditionally been used to explain how shared meanings are constructed and stabilized within societies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. In this study, it provides a lens to examine how disability is initially anchored to narratives of dependency, incapacity, and invisibility, and subsequently objectified through exclusionary systems such as inaccessible infrastructure, limited policy inclusion, and restricted participation in governance. These findings are consistent with existing work in disability studies, which has shown that disability is frequently constructed through deficit-oriented frameworks that obscure the role of social and structural barriers [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, this study advances the application of Social Representations Theory by demonstrating how these representations are actively contested and transformed through participatory processes. Rather than treating representations as relatively stable cognitive schemas, the findings illustrate their dynamic and negotiated nature, particularly in contexts marked by inequality and historical marginalization. Through Participatory Action Research, participants engaged in processes of collective reflection that enabled the re-anchoring of disability as a source of knowledge, resilience, and innovation. This transformation aligns with emerging scholarship that emphasizes the role of marginalized groups in reshaping dominant discourses and producing alternative epistemologies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. It also suggests that Social Representations Theory can be productively extended by incorporating participatory and action-oriented dimensions that foreground agency and transformation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe findings further contribute to debates in climate justice by challenging dominant framings of vulnerability. Climate change research has consistently highlighted the disproportionate impacts of environmental stressors on marginalized populations, including persons with disabilities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. However, much of this literature continues to position these groups primarily as passive victims, reinforcing what has been described as a \u0026ldquo;vulnerability paradigm\u0026rdquo; that risks obscuring agency and adaptive capacity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]. The results of this study complicate this narrative by demonstrating that YPWD possess contextually grounded knowledge and actively develop adaptive strategies in response to climate-related challenges. This supports calls within climate justice scholarship to move beyond deficit-based approaches and to recognize the role of marginalized populations as agents of change [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImportantly, the findings reveal that exclusion operates across multiple and interconnected domains, including policy, healthcare, communication, economic systems, and governance. These domains interact in ways that reinforce marginalization, creating cumulative and intersectional vulnerabilities. For example, the absence of disability-disaggregated data limits the visibility of YPWD in policy processes, which in turn contributes to the design of inaccessible services and communication systems. This interconnectedness reflects broader critiques of technocratic approaches to climate adaptation, which often prioritize infrastructural solutions while neglecting underlying social inequalities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]. The study therefore reinforces the argument that effective climate adaptation requires systemic and intersectional approaches that address structural determinants rather than isolated symptoms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe participatory nature of the research is central to these insights. By positioning YPWD as co-researchers, the study disrupts conventional hierarchies of knowledge production that privilege external expertise over lived experience. This aligns with longstanding critiques of extractive research practices in the Global South, where knowledge is often produced about marginalized communities without their meaningful involvement [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. Participatory Action Research offers an alternative approach that emphasizes co-production, reflexivity, and action, enabling participants to move beyond articulation of problems toward the development of solutions. In this study, participatory processes facilitated not only the identification of barriers but also the generation of practical interventions, including inclusive communication systems, adaptive livelihood strategies, and community-led advocacy initiatives.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe integration of decolonial perspectives further deepens the analytical contribution of the study. The findings illustrate how colonial legacies continue to shape both environmental governance and representations of disability in Zimbabwe. Colonial and postcolonial development models have historically prioritized extractive economic systems and external knowledge frameworks, often marginalizing local epistemologies and reinforcing hierarchical power relations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e]. Within this context, disability has been constructed through biomedical and charitable models that emphasize deficit and dependency, while climate adaptation has often been framed through technocratic and externally driven approaches [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]. By foregrounding the lived experiences of YPWD and incorporating relational frameworks such as ubuntu, this study challenges these dominant paradigms and highlights the importance of locally grounded, contextually relevant approaches to resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt the same time, the study adopts a critical stance toward decolonial and cultural frameworks. While concepts such as ubuntu emphasize interdependence and collective responsibility, they do not automatically translate into inclusive practices. Previous research has shown that local cultural norms can also reproduce exclusion, particularly along gendered and ability-based lines [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]. The findings of this study reflect this complexity, illustrating both the potential and the limitations of community-based approaches. This underscores the importance of critically engaging with local epistemologies rather than treating them as inherently inclusive.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom a policy perspective, the findings have several important implications. First, there is a need to systematically integrate disability-disaggregated data into climate and health information systems to ensure that YPWD are visible within planning and resource allocation processes. Second, climate adaptation strategies must prioritize accessibility across infrastructure, communication, and service delivery, moving beyond generic inclusion statements toward concrete implementation mechanisms. Third, the meaningful participation of YPWD in decision-making processes should be institutionalized through mechanisms such as quotas, advisory bodies, and participatory governance structures. These recommendations align with international frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which emphasizes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which calls for inclusive and people-centered approaches to resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite these contributions, the study has limitations that should be acknowledged. The research was conducted through a single workshop in an urban setting, which may limit the extent to which the findings capture the experiences of YPWD in rural areas, where climate impacts and service access may differ significantly. While efforts were made to include participants with diverse backgrounds, certain perspectives may remain underrepresented. In addition, while the participatory approach enabled rich and contextually grounded insights, the short-term nature of the engagement limits the ability to assess the long-term sustainability of the observed transformations in social representations and practices.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture research should build on these findings by adopting longitudinal participatory designs that can examine how representations and adaptive strategies evolve over time. Comparative studies across different regions and contexts would also be valuable in identifying both context-specific dynamics and broader patterns in the intersection of climate change and disability. Furthermore, there is a need for greater attention to intersectionality, particularly in relation to gender, class, and rurality, to better understand how multiple forms of marginalization shape climate experiences and adaptive capacity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, this study demonstrates that young people with disabilities are not peripheral to climate adaptation but are central to its reconfiguration. By integrating Social Representations Theory with Participatory Action Research and decolonial perspectives, the study provides a novel framework for understanding how dominant narratives of vulnerability can be challenged and transformed. The findings highlight the importance of moving beyond inclusion as representation toward inclusion as transformation, where marginalized groups are recognized as producers of knowledge and agents of change in the development of equitable and sustainable climate futures.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study has examined how young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience and respond to climate change, and how these experiences are shaped by and embedded within broader systems of representation, exclusion, and inequality. The findings demonstrate that vulnerability is not inherent to disability but is produced through structural barriers, including inaccessible infrastructure, exclusionary policies, and limited participation in decision-making processes. At the same time, the study shows that these conditions are not static. Through participatory engagement, dominant representations of disability as dependency and incapacity can be challenged and transformed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e By integrating Social Representations Theory with Participatory Action Research, this study provides new insights into how meanings of disability and climate adaptation are constructed and reconfigured. The findings highlight a shift from deficit-based representations toward understandings of disability as a source of knowledge, resilience, and innovation. Importantly, this transformation is not only conceptual but is reflected in the development of practical, context-specific strategies, including community-led data initiatives, inclusive communication systems, adaptive livelihood practices, and youth-driven advocacy mechanisms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating that young people with disabilities are not merely affected by climate change but are actively engaged in shaping adaptive responses. This challenges dominant approaches that position marginalized populations primarily as vulnerable beneficiaries and underscores the importance of recognizing their role as knowledge producers and agents of change. It also extends Social Representations Theory by illustrating how participatory processes can facilitate shifts in both meaning and practice, particularly in contexts characterized by historical marginalization and inequality.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom a policy perspective, the findings underscore the need for more inclusive and responsive climate adaptation strategies. This includes the integration of disability-disaggregated data into planning processes, the prioritization of accessibility across systems and services, and the institutionalization of meaningful participation of young people with disabilities in decision-making structures. Without such measures, adaptation efforts risk reproducing existing inequalities and excluding those most affected by climate change.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile the study is context-specific, its implications extend beyond Zimbabwe. It highlights the importance of moving beyond inclusion as a symbolic objective toward inclusion as a transformative process that reshapes how knowledge is produced, whose voices are heard, and how decisions are made. Future research should build on these insights through longitudinal and comparative approaches to better understand how these transformations can be sustained and scaled across different contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, this study demonstrates that equitable climate adaptation requires not only technical solutions but also a reconfiguration of the social representations and power relations that underpin exclusion. Centering the voices and experiences of young people with disabilities is essential to advancing more just, inclusive, and sustainable responses to climate change.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval was obtained from the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe. All participants provided informed consent in accessible formats prior to participation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study received no external funding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors’ contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCM conceptualized the study, led data collection and analysis, and drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed to revisions and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to thank the Danhiko Project and all participating young people with disabilities for their invaluable contributions to this research.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIPCC. Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2022.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorld Health Organization. Climate change and health. Geneva: WHO; 2023.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnited Nations Development Programme. Climate change adaptation in Zimbabwe. Harare: UNDP; 2024.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZimbabwe Ministry of Health. and Child Care. Annual health report. 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Duke University Press; 2018.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpivak G. Can the subaltern speak? 1988.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMbembe A, Necropolitics. Duke University Press; 2019.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErevelles N. Disability and difference in global contexts. Palgrave; 2011.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-global-society","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Global Society](https://www.springer.com/journal/44282)","snPcode":"44282","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44282/3","title":"Discover Global Society","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Disability, Climate change, Participatory action research, Social representations, Climate adaptation, Zimbabwe, Youth, Climate justice","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9176068/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9176068/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe intersection of climate change and disability remains underexamined in low- and middle-income contexts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Zimbabwe, dominant policy and research frameworks continue to construct young people with disabilities (YPWD) primarily through deficit-based narratives of vulnerability, obscuring their role as active agents in climate adaptation. This study addresses this gap by examining how disability and climate adaptation are socially represented and how these representations can be transformed through participatory processes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA qualitative Participatory Action Research design was employed in February 2025 in Harare, Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Danhiko Project. Over 30 young people with disabilities aged 18\u0026ndash;24 participated as co-researchers. Data were generated through storytelling, participatory mapping, focus group discussions, and consensus-building exercises. Analysis was guided by Social Representations Theory, focusing on processes of anchoring and objectification, and conducted using thematic analysis with iterative participant validation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFindings indicate that disability is initially anchored to dominant representations of dependency, vulnerability, and invisibility, which are objectified through exclusionary policies, inaccessible healthcare systems, limited communication infrastructures, and restricted participation in governance. Through participatory engagement, these representations were actively contested and reconfigured. Participants re-anchored disability as a source of resilience, innovation, and leadership, and co-developed contextually relevant solutions, including community-led data systems, inclusive communication strategies, adaptive livelihood practices, and youth-led advocacy structures.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates that young people with disabilities are not peripheral to climate adaptation but central to its reconfiguration. By integrating Social Representations Theory with Participatory Action Research, the study shows how participatory processes can transform dominant narratives of vulnerability and enable more inclusive and equitable adaptation pathways. Embedding the knowledge and agency of YPWD within climate policy and practice is essential for advancing climate justice.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Advancing inclusive climate adaptation through participatory action research with young people with disabilities in Zimbabwe","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-30 20:59:15","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9176068/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"162518482078054512990230815571681743171","date":"2026-05-07T20:08:30+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"272001271936196407240905545853319234423","date":"2026-04-27T19:42:15+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-22T18:52:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T07:50:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T06:07:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-04-07T05:53:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Global Society","date":"2026-04-07T05:47:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-global-society","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Global Society](https://www.springer.com/journal/44282)","snPcode":"44282","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44282/3","title":"Discover Global Society","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9be1acbe-d050-4616-827f-c74f005ed107","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 30th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"162518482078054512990230815571681743171","date":"2026-05-07T20:08:30+00:00","index":65,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-30T20:59:15+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-30 20:59:15","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9176068","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9176068","identity":"rs-9176068","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}