Disability and COVID-19: ensuring no one is left behind
Alarcos Cieza, Kaloyan Kamenov, Ola Abu Al Ghaib, Alessandra Aresu, Somnath Chatterji, Facundo Chavez, Jarrod Clyne, Nathalie Drew, Michelle Funk, Andrea Guzman, Eleonora Guzzi, Chapal Khasnabis, Bente Mikkelsen, Ren Minghui, Gopal Mitra, Priyanka Narahari, Gisela Nauk, Alice Priddy, Alaa Sabeh, María Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Javier G Palma Vásquez, Roxana Widmer-Iliescu
Abstract
The United Nations' Sustainable Development Agenda calls for targeted attention to the needs and rights of the most vulnerable populations to ensure a life of dignity and human security for all. In this paper, we argue that persons with disabilities are in a disproportionately vulnerable situation in public health emergencies. By using the example of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), we explain why that is and call for the systematic consideration of the needs and rights of persons with disabilities during the response to the outbreak and during the recovery phase. Otherwise, equity will continue to be merely an aspiration during this COVID-19 emergency - as it will in future health emergencies.