Disabled in a heatwave: 'We're talking about survival'

Emily Davison works with a guide dog as she has a visual impairment related to a congenital health condition Heatwaves this summer have brought travel disruption, overheating homes and school closures for millions - and there is a fifth heatwave expected to hit this week. It is well-documented that those with existing health conditions and disabilities are most at risk during extreme heat episodes. Public transport like buses often overheat and she avoids Uber after "too many experiences where they've not let me in with a dog". She says finding available taxis has become more difficult, even with London Taxicard scheme, a subsidised taxi service for people with mobility impairments or severe sight loss. During this summer's heatwaves, people have taken to social media to report phone batteries draining faster because of the high temperatures, but forJimmy batteries are what enable him to get around. "The heat definitely impacts the chair and it makes the battery go down a lot quicker. "I always have to think is there a way I can get to where I need to be without moving the chair?" Macfarlane says. Some days he has not even been able to leave his home - he previously lived in a sixth-floor flat and the heat caused the lift to break down. Such problems have been reported in other high-rise buildings , but unlike other residents Jimmy cannot just use the stairs to get round the problem. "There were times where I was stuck in the flat [for days] until it was fixed," he says. And the heat inside his flat became difficult to manage.