Many people with disabilities experience challenges in practising good hygiene. Climate hazards exacerbate those challenges. This phenomenological qualitative study explored how climate hazards influenced personal hygiene practices, including handwashing, bathing, laundry, and menstrual health and hygiene and related adaptations among people with disabilities and their caregivers in cyclone-affected Satkhira and flood-affected Gaibandha, Bangladesh. Using purposive sampling, we interviewed 35 people with disabilities and 16 caregivers who experienced cyclones or floods between 2018 and 2023. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews and observations. We used iterative thematic analysis to analyse findings. During Cyclone Amphan in Satkhira and recurrent floods in Gaibandha, handwashing practices remained the same as pre-disaster daily practice. However, inaccessible, waterlogged, and muddy pathways prevented participants in Satkhira from bathing for several days, resulting in significant dissatisfaction with cleanliness levels. Flooded water points and surrounding areas in Gaibandha forced participants to wash and do laundry in contaminated floodwaters, leading to self-reported rashes, skin infections, and fevers. Among people experiencing incontinence in both districts, the need for bathing and laundering soiled clothes and bedding remained unmet. Although disasters pose menstrual health and hygiene challenges for all women, those with disabilities often face added difficulties. Washing menstrual and incontinence materials in floodwater was difficult, so caregivers changed them less frequently, which caused skin rashes. Additionally, participants who could not reach disposal sites discarded used materials in the floodwater. Caregivers faced challenges in providing dignified hygiene support, leading to heightened emotional stress. Participants living in temporary shelters expressed concerns about the lack of privacy when bathing. Our findings highlight the urgent need to integrate disability inclusion into personal hygiene planning within climate-resilient initiatives.
Nawaz et al. (Mon,) studied this question.