Examining the Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic and Social Distancing on the Health of People With Mobility Disabilities.

Objective: To understand the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the health and participation of people with mobility disabilities living in the community. Methods: Participants responded to a survey designed to assess the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on their health and access to health care. Participants identified if various life situations were worsened, unchanged, or improved during the pandemic. Participants could provide further information on their improved or worsened lived experience in open-ended questions. Results: A total of 39 people with mobility disabilities responded to the survey. Results indicate that many experienced a worsening of life situations related to health, including access to medications, health care services, and transportation. Conclusions: Results show that many experiences were caused by the lack of appropriate policies, rather than the pandemic itself. Therefore, there is a need to modify pandemic preparedness plans and other policies to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

Examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on community engagement for people with mobility disabilities.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent mandates upended community participation in the United States. People with disabilities were often more vulnerable to the adverse effects of the pandemic. Some areas of community participation affected for this population include employment, access to transportation, and social engagement and connection to others. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for people with mobility disabilities across a variety of topics related to community engagement including social interactions with family and friends, and access to caregivers, groceries, transportation, and employment. METHODS: A survey was administered to participants with mobility disabilities (N = 39). Participants were asked to elaborate on topic areas that they identified as being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and a content analysis in search of themes from open-ended responses. RESULTS: Results indicate that access to family and friends was the most negatively affected topic related to participation, followed by access to food and groceries, transportation, employment, living independently, caring for others, and participating in the community in general. In response to these pandemic-related challenges, participants reported utilizing technology to connect with others and to get essential items delivered. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this rapid research emphasize the need for emergency preparedness strategies, accessible and reliable resources related to technology use (e.g., Internet), and continued access to services for people with disabilities to maintain various aspects of community participation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and in the future.