How Covid has amplified life’s struggles for people with disabilities

If you’ve found the Covid pandemic hard, spare a thought for people with physical disabilities.

Stellenbosch University researchers, who surveyed more than 100 people with physical impairments, said even simple things such as accessing Covid safety messages, social-distancing and mask-wearing were a struggle.

People with visual, hearing, walking and learning disabilities said the physical barriers they faced were compounded by anxiety because they were more vulnerable to Covid but felt they had insufficient information about how to protect themselves.

Lead researcher Dr Lieketseng Ned, senior lecturer at the centre for disability and rehabilitation studies at Stellenbosch, said some of the main challenges experienced by people with disabilities were:

• Disruption of services, especially health and rehabilitation; 
• Barriers to public transport use, which left many without personal assistants; and
• Social distancing was unrealistic for those who depend on caregivers and assistants.

Despite many people with disabilities requiring constant medical supplies and regular medication, disability-specific services were not prioritised, said Ned.

Public transport, which was mostly inaccessible even before Covid-19, became more challenging to use during the pandemic.

Ned said the implication of restricted travel for people without live-in caregiver resulted in reduced working days for caregivers who equally relied on public transport to get to work.

“Travelling by public transport also increased the risk and fear of caregivers with regard to contracting the coronavirus. Similarly, people with disabilities and their families were concerned about the risk of contracting Covid-19 from the caregivers.”

Study participants said they experienced more anxiety as information sheets on Covid were not available in Braille, large print or sign language, and were not made in audio format.

The information given did not specifically answer “what makes people with disabilities more at risk of infection or more vulnerable to Covid-19”.

Due to the nature of their disabilities, some struggled to wear masks while others couldn’t frequently wash their hands, particularly the blind when they have to push their wheelchairs or touch surfaces to navigate.

—  Lead researcher Dr Lieketseng Ned

Social distancing was impractical for those needing assistance with feeding, positioning, washing and getting in and out of bed. Additionally, no information was given to carers and personal assistants on how they could protect themselves better and get permits to continue as carers during the hard lockdown.

Those with hearing impairments were not able to lip-read due to mask-wearing, adding to their communication challenges.

“Due to the nature of their disabilities, some struggled to wear masks while others couldn’t frequently wash their hands, particularly the blind when they have to push their wheelchairs or touch surfaces to navigate” said Ned.

Mental health responses should be embedded in the Covid-19 response, she added.

“Access to mental health services at community level is particularly crucial. Disability must not be an afterthought. 

“More resources towards rehabilitation are similarly needed, as we can see that Covid-19 is affecting people with more debilitating ailments and impairments.”

With life slowly getting back to normal, Ned said there could be more challenges for people with disabilities.

“Are children with disabilities going back to school? If not, when the parents go back to work, who will care for the children with disabilities? If they are also going back to school, are schools for children with disabilities resourced and prepared for the regulations and preventive measures?”