The Impact of COVID-19

Table of Contents

The Impact of COVID-19 – Introduction

While the COVID-19 pandemic threatens all members of society, persons with disabilities are disproportionately impacted due to attitudinal, environmental, and institutional barriers that are reproduced in the COVID-19 response.¹

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating. It has resulted in 6,309,157 deaths worldwide and 1,031,085 deaths in the U.S.² People with disabilities are at a greater risk of contracting the virus and having severe symptoms due to pre-existing health conditions, inability to communicate symptoms, limited access to health services, and barriers to practicing safety measures. The increased isolation from lockdowns is even more detrimental to their overall well-being.

This article will look at the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and the increased risks of adverse outcomes they experience. Understanding these risks should help:

Identify the immediate and long-term effects of the pandemic on people with disabilities
Inform strategic policies in responding to the needs of people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers
Inspire other stakeholders to adopt practices that protect the well-being of people with disabilities
Increase the public’s awareness of the specific challenges the disability community faces due to the pandemic
Influence society to take action in alleviating the negative impact of COVID-19 on the disability community and adopting more inclusive practices

Healthcare

Many people with disabilities have pre-existing health conditions that predispose them to contract the COVID-19 virus and experience more severe symptoms upon contraction. Communication about the disease and preventive measures is complicated and unclear, making it difficult for people with intellectual disabilities to understand. Persons with disabilities also risk being triaged out of COVID-19 treatment when healthcare resources are scarce. Cancellation or postponement of regular healthcare or rehabilitation further worsens their well-being. As a result, the COVID-19 mortality rate is higher for people with disabilities.

Moreover, the growing shortage of direct care workers since the pandemic results in a lack of or inadequate support for people with disabilities who live alone or need assistance for daily living. Increased isolation and disruption of the routine have precipitated the conditions of people with mental health impairment. When most people wore face masks during the pandemic, communication became even more difficult for people with hearing loss. People who need physical assistance find it challenging to receive the needed help when the general public practices social distancing.

What are the strategic actions healthcare agencies, professionals, and other stakeholders can take to safeguard the health of people with disabilities?

Prevent inequalities in accessing healthcare by making health information and medical guidelines clear and accessible to people with disabilities;
Prohibit bias against people with disabilities by providing reasonable treatment and adequate assistance to their healthcare needs;
Promote research on the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and how to mitigate the impact;
Provide awareness training for healthcare professionals to prevent discrimination and bias against people with disabilities.

Education

COVID-19 has adversely impacted students’ learning in general, but its impact on students with disabilities is even more devastating. The pandemic has widened the pre-existing education gaps between students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to meet the students’ unique learning needs by providing special education and individualized services. The closing of schools during the pandemic has seriously disrupted these tailored services to students with disabilities. A survey conducted by ParentTogether Action, a national parent-led organization, reflects the seriousness of disruptions of the services. The survey shows that only 20% of the parents with children who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or are qualified to receive specialized services are actually receiving the needed services. 39% report not receiving any support at all.³

Despite the efforts and resources to provide remote learning, students with disabilities are least likely to benefit from it due to the following barriers:

Insufficient individual support to help students with disabilities transition to the online learning environment.
The existing digital divide exacerbates the already challenging learning environment for learners with disabilities. According to the survey data from Pew Research Center, Americans with a disability are less like than those without one to have desktop or laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, and home broadband.⁴ The same survey also shows that people with disabilities are three times more likely than those without disabilities to say they never go online.
Inadequate technologies and infrastructure make it difficult for students with disabilities to access online materials.
Most content generators (faculties, teachers, instructors) are ill-equipped to make their teaching content accessible to students with disabilities.

Many students with disabilities are in speech, occupational, or physical therapies. These types of therapies often require face-to-face, hands-on, or personal interactions. The mandates for face masks and social distancing have severely undermined the effectiveness of these therapies. In many cases, these services were brought to a complete halt.

The pandemic has heightened the ongoing challenge of teacher shortages and brought it to the center stage. Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows shortages of special education teachers in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the 2011-22 school year. Teacher shortages may result in class cancellations, create uncertainty and anxiety in students, cause concern and distrust in parents, and increase students’ failing the grade or even dropping out of the school.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the pandemic impact on young children’s social, emotional, and mental well-being may have long-term consequences.⁵

Routine gives young children a sense of security and stability. The disruptions in daily structure and routine during the pandemic upset young children. The lack of routine made children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) feel more anxious and unsettling.
The reduced or canceled social services have adversely affected children with disabilities who need regular therapeutic services, like speech, physical, or occupational therapy.
Many parents are concerned about the damage Covid-19 may cause to their children’s already compromised health conditions. These parents may feel compelled to keep their children with disabilities at home and skip routine health check-ups. However, the break in health care may cause delayed diagnosis of illnesses or other health complications.
When children stayed home during school shutdowns, parents or caregivers had to juggle work responsibilities, caretaking children, online learning supervision, and additional housework. Many parents experienced anxiety and burnout. The added stress made caretaking of children with disabilities even more challenging.
During the pandemic, many places were closed or enforced strict social distancing and facemask rules to slow the virus’s spread and avoid getting sick. The sudden change and lack of physical touch can be confusing and traumatic for young children. This is especially true with children with disabilities because these children prefer routine and familiarity and often have a more challenging time understanding and adjusting to the changes.

As we pass the two-year mark of the pandemic school shutdown, it is time for the stakeholders to evaluate its educational impact on students with disabilities. School districts must take measures to help these students recover what has been lost. Moreover, policy-makers, researchers, and educators must think and plan strategically to close the pre-existing education gaps and better prepare for future emergencies.

Investigate the experiences of students with disabilities in online learning and develop an online learning environment conducive to their learning.
Evaluate the effectiveness of current assistive technologies.
Increase accessibility and even distribution of assistive products to meet the growing needs of the disability community.
Identify the specific learning needs of students with disabilities to provide adequate accommodations and assistive devices to improve learning.
Adapt online teaching materials and methods to accommodate students’ different learning needs.
Provide training and support for teachers on inclusive online learning.
Provide guidance and assistance for parents to support their children with disabilities for remote learning.
Protect the education budget and provide school funding to enhance online learning environments.
Develop easy-to-access digital learning platforms.
Design flexible learning models and curricula that can quickly adapt to unforeseen changes.

Employment and Livelihood

Statistics show that people with disabilities are less likely to be employed than their peers without disabilities. They are more likely to be employed part-time or in occupations with less income and benefits even when employed. They are often the first to be let go when organizations experience financial strains. As a result, persons with disabilities had less access to health insurance or assistance based on employment, adversely affecting their economic status during the pandemic. Moreover, many of them could not work from home due to the nature of their work. If pre-existing health conditions increase the risk of severe Covid-19 illness, they could lose their livelihood. In addition, some may be prevented from working at home because they lack financial resources for access to digital devices or internet bandwidth.

The pandemic recession had more of a negative impact on workers with disabilities. According to the Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire special report, there was a 20% reduction in the number of employed working-age people with disabilities from March to April 2000. While there was only a 14% decrease for people without disabilities in that same period.⁶ Historically, people with disabilities were more likely to lose employment during recessions. It was also harder for them to regain employment afterward.⁷

What are some actions the key stakeholder can take?

Provide training for job seekers with disabilities to develop current skills or acquire new skills to help them gain employment.
Provide financial support and assistance to current employers of people with disabilities.
Offer financial or other incentives to encourage employers to hire people with disabilities.
Offer protection and financial assistance to self-employed people with disabilities.
Offer financial incentives for employers to provide an accessible environment for employees with disabilities.

Many people with disabilities already felt isolated and lonely before the pandemic. The widespread COVID-19 only made the situation worse. It is urgent to ensure a solid and equitable recovery for people with disabilities by considering their specific needs. A better future is possible for the disability community as we learn from the pandemic experience, grow in understanding of their situations, and continue to improve their well-being.

1. COVID-19 AND THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. (2020). https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Disability/COVID-19_and_The_Rights_of_Persons_with_Disabilities.pdf

2. COVID Live—Coronavirus Statistics—Worldometer. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2022, from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

3. ParentsTogether Survey Reveals Remote Learning is Failing Our Most Vulnerable Students. (2020, May 27). ParentsTogether Action. https://parentstogetheraction.org/2020/05/27/parentstogether-survey-reveals-remote-learning-is-failing-our-most-vulnerable-students-2/

4. Perrin, A., & Atske, S. (n.d.). Americans with disabilities less likely than those without to own some digital devices. Pew Research Center. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/10/americans-with-disabilities-less-likely-than-those-without-to-own-some-digital-devices/

5. COVID-19 Parental Resources Kit – Early Childhood. (2022, February 28). https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/stress-coping/parental-resources/early-childhood/index.html

6. nTIDE May 2020 Special Report: Workers with Disabilities in the COVID Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://kesslerfoundation.org/press-release/ntide-may-2020-report-covid-economy

7. nTIDE December 2020 Jobs Report: COVID Surge Slows Recovery for People with Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2022, from https://kesslerfoundation.org/press-release/ntide-december-2020-jobs-report-covid-surge-slows-recovery-people-disabilities