ANTHROPOCENE, DISABILITIES AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITIES: MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Resumen

The Anthropocene and the climate emergency are making disasters like the one that occurred in Rio Grande do Sul increasingly frequent. This fact especially affects children in situations of greater social vulnerability, such as those historically marginalized by socioeconomic structures consolidated in the exploitation and degradation of nature and human life. The new environmental and public health challenges affect minorities most affected by intersectionalities established in the overlapping of social markers of difference, such as gender, race, class and disabilities, as indicated by reports from UNESCO and the World Bank. In addition to the presented issues, there are major challenges in the schooling of children and youth with disabilities, who suffer prejudice and discrimination commonly expressed in different forms of ableism, whether explicit or veiled. Free play and access to nature are not always guaranteed rights to children with disabilities. This fact can result in the compromise of the overall development and mental health of children, due to barriers consolidated in the insecurities of family members, teachers and communities. The perception of disability and its interaction with the increased risk of violence in certain urban, rural and forest areas and of accidents due to the lack of accessibility in public and private spaces, can constitute limiting factors for inclusion. In this dramatic scenario, there is a need for active research, in which theory embraces reality based on formal and informal education practices and political activism in defense of children and the environment. As final considerations, it is worth noting that change needs to begin today so that the future of new generations is less challenging than projections indicate.