Scorching Summers Impact Persons with Disabilities

Back in January of this year, we featured an article in our Winter 2024 issue of ‘New Perspectives’ that took a look at how the colder temperatures and hazardous conditions of the season (snow, ice, etc.) have an impact on the lives of people with disabilities in Victoria. This article was backed up by the feedback and testimonials of over 40 individuals who not only shared their experiences with winter weather, but many also shared ideas and techniques they had come up with for handling any obstacles the season may present.

Now, half a year later, with the summer season now upon us, we decided to revisit this article concept and find out how the warmer conditions affect members of the persons with disabilities community. According to Weather Spark, the average daily temperature in Victoria during the summer is around 18℃, rarely going above 22℃ or below 13℃. However, one has to only look at the temperature levels during the summer of 2023 to see how this is not entirely accurate. Last year, there were quite a few days during July and August that hit or exceeded 25℃, with a few days even reaching 30℃! While Victoria does tend to have milder conditions in the summer when compared to other cities in the province (Kelowna has an average high of 28℃) and across the country (Ottawa has occasionally peaked at 40℃), our temperatures are still high enough to present the possibility of some serious health risks for certain vulnerable populations, such as persons with disabilities. According to a recent CTV News article, the B.C. Coroner Services has reported that 11 people in the province passed away in 2023 due to “suspected heat-related injuries.”

Just as we did with the winter weather article, a short survey was sent out to members of the VDRC community and those following our social media, asking for stories, thoughts and ideas on how the rising temperatures and increased sun exposure impacts their lives with regards to their disabilities and how they go about handling any obstacles. We were once again very lucky to have lots of responses, with over 35 people adding their input!

Whereas winter saw a nearly universally negative impact among the persons with disabilities that offered their feedback for the previous article, the summer weather seems to have left things a bit more divided. Several individuals stated that this season brings some positive energy to their daily lives.

“Summer affects [sic] me in a mostly positive way. The temperature, biology/life, the colours and light all assist me in increasing my mental health which is what I struggle with most from my disabilities.” says Mariano Francesco Ciancone.

Positive mental health definitely seems to be a common trait amongst these responses. This could be owing to many factors, such as, for some, the summer season presents little in the way of physical natural barriers, compared to the snow, ice, and wind of winter. This could mean more potential opportunities to get out into the sunny weather and experience the greater community, thus leading to feeling more connected to the world and less isolated from it.

The heat can also offer some much-needed relief from certain conditions that are exasperated by the cold. Says Jessica, “Summer is by far the best time for me, both physically and mentally. I have fewer fibromyalgia flare-ups, my Raynaud’s is much more manageable, and my mental health is much better when the days are longer and I can be outside for extended periods. Plus, swimming in lakes soothes my soul.”

However, given that the nature of disabilities can differ wildly from person to person, there are still unfortunately many individuals who face some uncomfortable challenges during the summer months. These can range from pre-existing conditions flaring up to facing barriers when trying to regulate their body temperature (keeping their living space cool, staying hydrated, etc.) and much more. For some, the summer season can offer just as many problems as the winter season.

“I experience brain fog and start feeling weak when the temperature gets hot,” says an anonymous source. “It’s also very difficult to stay sufficiently hydrated, which is vitally important for my safety.”

A common issue that came up in the feedback for the winter weather also came up quite a bit in the summer weather feedback, that the extreme conditions of the season can aggravate chronic health conditions. Says one anonymous person, “The excess heat makes me dizzy, reduces my balance and energy, and gives me increased brain fog. These symptoms make it very difficult to maintain my health in terms of my chronic illness, and the fear involved is terrible for my mental health.”

Acorn says, “Hot temperatures can cause fainting spells, dehydration, lupus and autoimmune flairs, the constant movement between outside and AC areas can cause nausea, dizziness and syncope. Bright light can trigger migraines, and exercise in heat <20°C triggers all the above and makes me bed bound for the rest of the day up to 2 days.” Says Allan Miller, “I have MS fatigue and MS cog fog and declining muscle strength. All are exacerbated by summer heat.”

Many of the pre-existing health conditions that are aggravated by the heat seem to be tied to muscle and body movement. “I also move my body less outside when it’s hot because I get too warm too quickly, which exacerbates my disabilities,” says M. “I have a connective tissue disorder and when I don’t move my body in some way over a long period of time, my pain gets worse.” Hazel says, “My mental health is a lot better, but the heat can cause flare ups within my body, which can actually limit my mobility.”

“The excess heat makes me dizzy, reduces my balance and energy, and gives me increased brain fog. These symptoms make it very difficult to maintain my health in terms of my chronic illness, and the fear involved is terrible for my mental health.”
                                                                                                -Anonymous
Certain disabilities can also make it quite difficult for someone to maintain a comfortable internal body temperature, which can make coping with the heat much more challenging and potentially dangerous. One anonymous individual states, “Because of my spinal cord injury I am unable to regulate my body temperature. I overheat very quickly which makes me weaker and feel ill.”

While some have stated previously that the summer season has a positive effect on their disability and their mental health, there are also several individuals who say the warmer conditions have a strong negative effect on their mental health. With the heat being so overpowering and more difficult to regulate than the cold, many are forced to stay close to where they can keep cool and limit their physical movements. This typically translates to forgoing outside activity and staying home, which in turn greatly brings down mental health.

Says an anonymous source, “I can’t do anything physical during the summer and avoid making any in-person appointments or curbside pickups during the hot months. Socializing outdoors (for COVID safety) becomes more difficult, and even warm evenings can be too hot for me. Summer is the most stressful time of year because of the threat of heat exhaustion, and the limitation on my activities is frustrating. I spend the summer waiting for September when I can do things again.”

“In Port Hardy, it’s more of a humid weather that affects my breathing,” says Linda Coleman. “I’m allergic to the UV B ray, but Disability doesn’t cover a sunshade or the like for either my manual wheelchair or power chair. It affects my mental health that I can’t go out in the sun. It triggers my chronic depression, severe anxiety, and panic attacks.”

Daniel Sands raises the very important point that, for those of us who have limited physical movement and require the use of mobility devices, negative mental health can arise from being unable to fully participate in traditional summer activities, like going to the beach. They say, “I do tend to feel more excluded when people are talking [sic] about going to the beach, lake, river, hiking, swimming, camping, beach fire, or any other regular summer activities that aren’t accessible. I feel like I’m missing out. I feel excluded. I feel sad. I feel like I’m not valuable enough to have access to these activities. It really does hurt.”

Even those who have reported an uptick in their mental health during the summer still state that they do experience challenges due to the heat. Jennifer Deakin says, “The heat is great for my mental health, however it takes a huge toll on my physical health, the hotter it gets the less I can do, but the more stable my mind gets, I prefer dryer over wetter conditions so that works well for me.” B. Snow Manning-Jones adds, “Heat causes me to be terribly I’ll, and lose muscle control. Mentally, I love it, I just have to limit my exposure to UV and extreme heat.”

An unfortunate truth is that, for many, summertime barriers may come about due to their living conditions or potential limited funding. With disability benefits currently leaving many recipients living below the poverty line, things like air conditioning or proper ventilation become necessities that they must forgo in favour of rent or food.

“Housing is too hot so there’s no relief.” says an anonymous source. “Can’t afford proper resources to deal with heat because the rate for disability is too low to [sic] even afford rent let alone any extras like food. Insurance is expensive and so is gas so going to find cooler places becomes an expense I can’t afford.” Another individual states, “[sic] because of my disability I live in a ‘below market’ rental unit that I can’t afford to move from. It is 350 square feet with only one sliding glass door and no windows, so there is not enough air circulation and the apartment overheats.”

Another common occurrence that Victorians have had to become familiar with over the past several years is the smoke from nearby forest fires. The increasing annual temperatures create some very dry conditions, which has led to a dramatic increase in fires up island and on the mainland. The smoke from these fires inevitably drifts towards Victoria, overwhelming the city with hazardous breathing conditions. For those whose disabilities affect their breathing and lung capacity, the smoke can potentially worsen their symptoms. “There are solutions for my level of mobility as far as heat goes but I have no defense against smoke,” says Jessica.So, with all this heat causing some very uncomfortable and, in certain cases, potentially dangerous scenarios, for persons with disabilities, what can we do? What ideas could someone implement in order to maintain a relatively comfortable body temperature and a less disrupted daily life during the summer months? We put that query to the VDRC community and the ideas and techniques suggested to us showcase a great deal of creativity and ingenuity. They show that there are some rather varied ideas on how a person with a disability can beat the heat.

A very common suggestion that came up revolved around doing some planning ahead for when you need to venture out into the sun. This is something that is very common amongst the persons with disabilities community, as the nature of certain disabilities may dictate the need to know particular details about your destination; for example, how accessible the washrooms are or if the location you are going to has an elevator. Planning ahead during the summer could help with making sure you are able to stay as comfortable as possible in the high temperatures.

“I scope out areas of shade as soon as I arrive at a place, so I know where they are when I need them,” says one anonymous individual.

Planning ahead could also mean scheduling as many of your activities around the high and low temperature points of the day. Saving any outings or high energy activities until the early or later hours means you will be able to limit your direct exposure to the higher temperatures and spend that time instead focusing on staying cool.

Alexander Schaum says, “I try to go out after 5pm if possible and try to not stay out for long stretches in the heat. I take breaks by finding air-conditioned spaces and shade.”

Keeping curtains closed during the particularly high temperature periods was brought up by multiple individuals. “Close windows and blinds during the heat of the day, and reopen them once it is cooler outside than inside,” suggests one anonymous person. This technique is actually listed among the City of Victoria’s tips for handling extreme heat.

Of course, one very important method of staying cool that most of the feedback reflected was to keep hydrated. Regardless of whether or not a person has a disability, it is very important to make sure you are drinking water or fluids with electrolytes to maintain hydration during the hotter points of the summer. “I drink a great deal of water anyways, but am especially careful to drink even more when it’s hot,” says an anonymous source. “If out of the house, I stay near a source of cold water so I can splash my face with it as necessary, for temporary relief from the heat.” Cold showers were also a method of staying hydrated that was frequently suggested.

EYHall brings up a very good point about needing to be careful of developing any rashes as a result of the heat. “Look into products for butt sweat, boob sweat, friction rash or the like.”

There are many different products that can be purchased to help with staying cool, such as fans, ice packs and more. Jen Deakin talks about investing in “a sports scarf that comes in a bottle that you fill with water and keep in the fridge, the material of the scarf keeps it cool for a long(ish) time and helps keep you cool.” One anonymous source talks about possibly creating her own “ice pack vest.” Another mentions her use of “silica gel neck coolers,” but adds that she also carries around a simple frozen bottle of water to help stay hydrated. “I can also hold it to cool my hands or put it against my neck.” There were many other simple remedies like this suggested, such as the use of wet towels on the back of your neck and a bowl of ice in front of a fan to generate cooler air.

Air conditioning was something that unsurprisingly showed up a lot in the feedback, as a great majority of people with disabilities rely heavily on air conditioning units or portable units to keep their living spaces and themselves comfortable. M. says of portable air conditioners, “They are loud and annoying but at least make my bedroom cool enough that I can sleep at night.”

A few individuals talk about applying for the Government of B.C. and B.C. Hydro’s free portable air conditioner offer, which provides a free unit to low income applicants or those who have been referred by their regional health authority. For anyone concerned about being able to afford air conditioning, this is a vital resource that should be utilized. Several public locations were also mentioned as places to go that routinely have air conditioning, such as malls and libraries.

Wearing sunscreen, hats, and loose clothing are also highly recommended for when you must travel out in the summer sun. Also suggested is wearing thin shirts and pants with long arms and legs, for added protection from direct exposure to the sun.

“I have no idea what Victoria is doing to help people like me. So I guess one thing they can do differently is better awareness of the help they offer.”
                                                                                                     -EYHall

While there are certainly plenty of great ideas and techniques mentioned here that persons with disabilities can use to help themselves during the summer season, it’s important that they also be aware of what the City of Victoria is doing to help them. As with the winter article, we wanted to get feedback on what people think the city should be doing to help people in the disability community and other vulnerable communities with the heat. Many people responded by saying that they were unaware of what the city currently does, which in of itself is a perfect place to begin. EYHall states, “I have no idea what Victoria is doing to help people like me. So I guess one thing they can do differently is better awareness of the help they offer.”

At present, Victoria does have a number of designated misting stations installed around the city and can be located via their Extreme Heat Resources page, along with other cooling locations such as public pools and malls. They have also released a fact sheet about all the symptoms of heat stroke and what to do in mild and severe cases, very valuable information that everyone should be aware of. These, along with the air conditioner program mentioned earlier, are good points for a start, but many feel that the city should be more proactive in addressing the heat related issues at the housing level.Auto-Immune says, “The city could require developers and anyone applying for renovations to install cooling, to increase the stock of habitable homes during heat waves. And the city could require that some fully accessible housing be built.” An anonymous source adds, “I don’t know if permits are required to install heat pumps but that should be made easy and affordable, especially for rentals. The building code should be upgraded to require more passive cooling and climate adaptation, but that is more of a national issue.”

“We should all have properly insulated homes with proper windows and a way to filter the air,” says Jessica. “Yes, the entire city can’t install new windows and heat pumps overnight, but we’ve had years of increasing temperatures and wildfires. It’s time we catch up and make sure everyone is safe whether they have a home or not.”

Other suggestions include the installation of more water fountains and water bottle refill stations, ensuring bus stops have better shade coverage, programs to make regular wellness check-ins on members of vulnerable communities, and planting more trees (though being mindful of not including plants with high pollen output).

Discussing what the City of Victoria could do to help people with disabilities during the hotter months does inevitably lead to the much larger and very important discussion of what the city should be doing in order to make our communities more accessible, as many have pointed out. One anonymous source puts it best, “Address the cost of living and reflect that in services they provide. Make current available programs more known through advertising and continue to adjust the barriers that are still in place with more accessible supports. And of course financial support, in any form is always a good move. Listen to the people and make decisions by including more voices with various disabilities in each and every conversation and decision/decision-making process.”

As of the writing of this article on Thursday, July 4th, 2024, the lead headline on the Times Colonist website says, “First heat wave of the summer on the way to Vancouver Island and B.C.” The accompanying article says that Greater Victoria is expected to see temperatures as high as 29℃ over the weekend and into next week, with other areas like Nanaimo and Port Alberni getting as high as 31℃ and 36℃ respectively. These conditions are quite likely to make things very uncomfortable for many persons with disabilities and members of other vulnerable populations, and in certain cases, potentially dangerous.

Hopefully, some of the ideas and techniques listed here will be of great help to you in beating this crazy summer heat. On behalf of all of us at the VDRC, we hope you are able to stay as cool and as comfortable as you need to be this season. Close those curtains, turn on that box fan, check in with your friends and family every now and then, take that second cold shower and dig into that pint of chocolate ice cream!

Written by Christopher Wooding, Writer at the Victoria Disability Resource Centre