Cuando la lluvia no moja a todas las personas por igual: discapacidad y la dana de València

Abstract The dana (cut-off low) of 29 October 2024 caused heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding across the province of Valencia. This work is based on the premise that disasters are not strictly “natural” but rather social processes that exacerbate pre-existing inequalities. Among the most affected groups are persons with disabilities, whose exposure and response capacity are shaped by multiple barriers that reflect their historical processes of vulnerabilisation (Stough y Kelman, 2018). This chapter examines the effects of the dana on persons with disabilities from a social justice perspective, using a qualitative and documentary approach. Multiple sources were triangulated: international literature on disability and disasters, analysis of media coverage, testimonies from persons with disabilities and their support network, and the report produced by the Comité Español de Representantes de Personas con Discapacidad de la Comunidad Valenciana (CERMI CV, 2024b). The results show that the impact of the dana went beyond material damage and loss of life. There were interruptions to essential support, loss of orthotic, prosthetic, and assistive devices, increased burden on families, and profound emotional effects. The emergency management process also revealed the absence of specific protocols, failures in accessible communication, and the systematic exclusion of disability organisations from decision-making. These shortcomings were not circumstantial but rather manifestations of an ableist framework that considers some lives, bodies and conditions to be more valuable than others (Wolbring, 2008), even in times of crisis. The prolonged inaccessibility of many homes left numerous people isolated for months, showing how the effects of the disaster are intertwined with long-standing structural barriers that deny rights. Incorporating an anti-ableist and social justice perspective is essential to understanding these processes of vulnerabilisation and designing emergency management policies that ensure the participation and rights of persons with disabilities.