Fifth London heatwave leaves disabled residents stranded at home

Disabled residents in Barnet and across London are facing cancelled journeys, broken lifts and cooling advice that does not account for their needs as a fifth heatwave approaches the capital during the week of 11 August 2026. Campaigners and researchers say the extreme heat is forcing trade-offs between health, independence and work that able-bodied people do not face.

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Emily Davison, a journalist and content creator based in London, said she has cancelled multiple work trips to avoid risking the health of her guide dog, Rosie. Overheated buses and Uber drivers refusing to allow dogs have left her reliant on the London Taxicard scheme, which she said has become harder to use during heatwaves.

Davison told the BBC that each journey now requires hours of planning, limiting her ability to work and socialise. "It does put the brakes on your life," she said. "When you're in this situation and you've got a guide dog and you can't do anything, it does make certain things grind to a halt."

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Jimmy Macfarlane, an actor who uses a powered wheelchair, was trapped in his sixth-floor flat for days after a lift broke down during a previous heatwave. The BBC reported similar incidents in other high-rise buildings, but Macfarlane said he had no alternative but to wait for repairs. "There were times where I was stuck in the flat until it was fixed," he said.

Heat also drains the batteries of powered wheelchairs faster, forcing Macfarlane to plan routes that avoid unnecessary movement. "The heat definitely impacts the chair and it makes the battery go down a lot quicker," he told the BBC. Some days, he said, he cannot leave his home at all.

Cooling advice creates new risks

Standard heatwave advice, such as opening windows or using fans, can create hazards for blind or visually impaired residents. Claire Sisk, a content creator and advocate with distorted vision, said opening windows makes her feel vulnerable because she cannot see who might enter her property. Fans, meanwhile, become trip hazards if they are not part of her usual home layout.

Bright sunlight also reduces her remaining vision, making travel unpredictable. Sisk recalled waiting two hours for a Tube journey that should have taken 45 minutes due to staff shortages. "That can be a bit frustrating because it takes you two hours then to get home when it should have only taken 45 minutes," she said.

Guidance overlooks disabled people’s needs

Hollye Kirkcaldy, a PhD researcher at the University of Bath, found that official heatwave guidance often fails to reflect the circumstances of disabled people. Measures presented as simple, such as staying cool at home, can create new barriers or force trade-offs between health and basic needs.

Kirkcaldy told the BBC that disabled people may face higher energy costs for cooling, reduced ability to work and additional financial pressures. "It can be a trade-off that nobody should have to make between your health and whether you eat," she said.

Disabled people are always amongst the first against the wall whenever there's a significant crisis of any type in society, and this is no exception.

Doug Paulley, disability campaigner

What happens next

Barnet Council has not announced specific measures for disabled residents ahead of the upcoming heatwave. The council’s website directs residents to the UK Health Security Agency’s heatwave guidance, which does not address the barriers identified by disabled residents and researchers.

Residents can contact Barnet Council’s adult social care team to request support during extreme weather. The council’s next public health committee meeting is scheduled for 20 August 2026, where heatwave planning may be discussed.