Structural, geographic, cultural, and logistical barriers exclude marginalized, Tribal, immigrant, rural, and unhoused communities from meaningful participation. Timelines that don’t match community realities, limited translation and interpretation, lack of childcare and food support, digital-access inequities, and inadequate trauma-informed practices all restrict who can participate—and how safely. These barriers intersect with cultural erasure, cross-border and rural isolation, and the failure to honor Tribal data sovereignty or Indigenous land rights, preventing authentic involvement in climate and resilience planning.