[Dpo-officemanagers] [PDF-members] Disability and COVID-19
Lanieta Tuimabu
lanietatuimabu at fdpf.org
Wed Mar 25 21:33:24 MDT 2020
Many thanks Simi , sharing this across to our partners and
government etc.
From: Pdf-members [mailto:pdf-members-bounces at lists.pacificdisability.org]
On Behalf Of Simione Bula
Sent: Thursday, 26 March 2020 10:57 AM
To: pdflist at lists.pacificdisability.org;
dpo-officemanagers at lists.pacificdisability.org;
pdf-members at lists.pacificdisability.org
Cc: Luisa Mana; Annie Obed; pdf-staff at lists.pacificdisability.org;
tainaomi529 at gmail.com; paulus neves; Annie Obed; Aureline Konkon
Subject: [PDF-members] Disability and COVID-19
Bula Vinaka All,
Greetings from the Pacific Disability Forum. Please find attached and pasted
below Disability and COVID-19 situation analysis for your information:
Document Start:
Disability and COVID-19
I. INTRODUCTION
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been declared a Public
Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and the virus is now a
global pandemic, spreading to many countries and territories. While a lot is
still unknown about the virus that causes COVID-19, we do know that it is
transmitted through direct contact with respiratory droplets of an infected
person (generated through coughing and sneezing). Individuals can also be
infected from touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and touching
their face (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth). While COVID-19 continues to spread, it
is important that communities take action to prevent further transmission,
reduce the impacts of the outbreak and support control measures.[1]
Ensuring that persons with disabilities are protected and respond
effectively to a COVID-19 outbreak, it is critical that their exposure and
vulnerability to the spread of the disease are recognised and necessary
measures are in place to ensure their inclusion, effective participation,
protection and safety is addressed in the health response. We urge all
levels of government, agencies and the private sector to work with disabled
peoples' organisations to make sure that persons with disabilities in
particular women, children and young persons with disabilities aren't left
behind in the COVID-19 response.
Persons with disabilities and their families will be exposed to the COVID-19
outbreak. In the likely event of this, they face barriers in accessing
information due to the lack of availability and accessibility of critical
information to guide them in taking necessary precautions, identify where to
go to seek help and who to contact in cases of emergencies. Lack of access
to education for most persons with disabilities further contributes to their
vulnerability to the outbreak as they would lack the understanding of
technical medical terms used in public advisories, further contributing to
their inability to respond to the outbreak and take necessary actions. Most
persons with disabilities are unemployed, poor and live in overpopulated
areas with poor living conditions. This exacerbates their exposure to the
outbreak and limits their ability to put in place measures to respond to the
outbreak, hence raises the risk of their vulnerability.
II. COVID-19 VULNERABILITY AND EXPOSURE
COVID-19 increases vulnerability of persons with disabilities
. Persons with disabilities with pre-medical conditions including
respiratory or other health complications associated with their impairment
requires high support needs from carers, personal assistants and family
members.
. The situation of people with disabilities in institutions,
psychiatric facilities and prisons is particularly grave, given the high
risk of contamination and the lack of external oversight.
. When visits to care facilities are banned and social distancing is
recommended, people who are already more isolated, exposed and with high
support needs will be disproportionately impacted. Containment measures,
such as social distancing and self-isolation, may be impossible for those
who rely on the support of others to eat, dress and bathe.
. Persons with psychosocial disabilities' and those with intellectual
disabilities', fear, anxiety and panic may increase due to lack of awareness
on COVID-19 response processes. This can cause them to become unwell
resulting in further stigmatization and discrimination.
. With social distancing being one of the major mechanisms in place to
reduce the spread of the virus, people who are blind who uses sighted guide
to move around have very high exposure to and vulnerability to be infected
by the virus.
. People who use a wheelchair for mobility are also at risk as their
wheelchairs might be exposed to the virus and affect them as they use their
hands to wheel their wheelchairs through the health facilities when
accessing health services.
. Children, young people, girls, women and persons with disabilities
are even more vulnerable to having a mental health issue and health issues
during this period of time. A result of this could be due to accumulated
stress which raises the vulnerability in acquiring other health issues as
well.
. Stress/Accumulated stress can further exacerbate existing health
conditions and or other mental and health issues in persons with
disabilities and family members/carers or support persons.
. Girls and women with disabilities can be prone to violent
situations.
Lack of access to lifesaving information puts persons with disabilities at
risk
. Persons with disabilities are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19
due to the various attitudinal, communication and environmental barriers
they face, in particular in accessing key information on COVID-19
precautions, preparedness and response actions.
. The lack of capacity and accessibility for persons with disabilities
to receive information, understand and act on it, exacerbates their
vulnerability to the outbreak.
. Little has been done to provide people with disabilities with the
guidance and support needed to protect them during the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic, even though many of them are part of the high-risk group
. Lack of access to education for persons with disabilities limits
their capacity to understand and act on technical and complex medical
information shared through various means.
. Lack of translation and interpretation of information for persons
with disabilities by carers/families/support persons.
. Lack of overall general mental health and wellbeing information and
support for persons with disabilities and their families. Fear, panic and
anxiety can contribute to other physical illnesses during this time.
Lack of disability inclusive COVID-19 response discriminates, marginalise
and stigmatise persons with disabilities
. Persons with disabilities could be discriminated against, isolated
and abandoned by carers, personal assistants and family members when
displaying signs of COVID-19 symptoms. This will disrupt lifesaving services
vital for many persons with disabilities and undermine basic rights such as
food, health care, WASH and communications.
. When ill with COVID19, persons with disabilities may face additional
barriers in seeking health care and also experience discrimination and
negligence by health care personnel.
. Persons with disabilities may be abandoned, isolated and
discriminated against if their carers, personal assistants and family
members are quarantined with no contingency measures in place to provide
alternate support services and ensure continuity of support to the person
with disability. This can result in institutionalization of persons with
disabilities without consent.
. Persons with psychosocial disabilities' and those with intellectual
disabilities', fear, anxiety and panic may increase due to lack of awareness
on COVID-19 response processes. This can cause them to become unwell
resulting in further stigmatization and discrimination. Additionally, can
escalate existing health conditions and or suicidal tendencies.
COVID-19 and women, girls, children and young people with disabilities
. Women, girls and children with disabilities need to have a
disability specific package which includes a suite of health-based
initiatives such as priority access to personal protective equipment such as
masks and sanitiser.
. Provide access to sanitary products for women and girls with
disabilities.
. Women and girls with disabilities are vulnerable and are at higher
risks to gender based violence and service provider's needs to extend
emergency domestic and family violence prevention packages through the DPOs.
. Ensure flexibility in supports service as younger children may not
have any support.
. There must be clear plans for families and caregivers of children
with disabilities if schools and early childhood services are shut down, and
clear information throughout this uncertain time.
Lack of physical accessibility limits persons with disabilities access to
health services
. Persons with disabilities have different accessibility needs and it
is crucial that their participation and access to health services are
accommodated.
. Pacific Island Countries do not have basic set of accessibility
standards and corresponding enforcement mechanisms, and most countries in
the region may not have the know-how or financial resources to develop or
revise their own comprehensive national accessibility standards. Therefore,
most health facilities in the region might not be accessible to persons with
disabilities.
. Signage within hospitals and health facilities responding to
COVID-19 may be unclear and inaccessible to some persons with disabilities.
. Lack of accessible transportation might impact persons with
disabilities access to health as they may not have the means of
transportation to get to health facilities or find an accessible public
transportation due to the attitude of the driver or they cannot afford it.
For example, some taxi drivers might not want to stop to pick up persons
with disability using a wheelchair.
Poverty status of persons with disabilities and their families increases
their exposure to the virus
. Most persons with disabilities and their families are unemployed and
live in poverty, in the streets, in residential homes or are
institutionalized.
. In the needs assessment conducted for persons with disabilities in
TC Winston and TC Gita it was noted that there was a:
o Lack of resources for persons with disabilities to put in place
necessary measures to protect them from the spread of the virus which puts
them at great risk.
o Lack of accessibility and empowerment of persons with disabilities to
access sustainable livelihood source weakens their ability to respond to the
outbreak.
III. RECOMMENDATION
The term 'Access to' for persons with disabilities means that it is:
Available - The services are available to persons with disabilities
Accessible - Persons with disabilities can access these services. (It is
important to ensure that people understands the term Accessibility as
articulated in Article 9 of the CRPD.)
Affordable - Services if charged are offered at a reasonable and affordable
price
Quality - Persons with disabilities are enjoying the service on an equal
basis with others
1. Work with Disabled Persons Organisations to ensure the voices of
persons with disabilities are included in decision making processes.
2. Persons with disabilities must receive information about infection
mitigating tips, public restriction plans, and the services offered, in a
diversity of accessible formats. Accessible formats could include easy read
formats, soft copies in word format, braille, videos with captioning,
pictures & flow chart and sign languages. When sharing pictures
electronically apart from the caption describe the picture and its content
using alternate text to ensure screen reading software users can also access
the picture on an equal basis with anyone else.
3. All communication should be in plain language, easy to read language.
Breakdown complex technical medical terms into simple conversational day to
day language.
4. Ensure that the information sharing platforms are available and
accessible to persons with disabilities, e.g. ensure that information is
shared through radio, television channels with captioning or sign languages,
txt messages, online and IEC materials. Mass media communication should
include closed captioning, sign language, high contrast, large print
information
5. Sign language interpreters who work in emergency and health settings
should be given the same health and safety protections as other health care
workers dealing with COVID19
6. Ensure that persons with disabilities are able to reach, enter,
circulate and use the different health facilities on an equal basis with
others.
Document END
If you need any further support or queries on this please do not hesitate to
contact us.
Vinaka
Simi
Simione Bula
Regional Coordinator Disaster Risk Reduction
Preparedness Emergency Response Unit (PERU)
Pacific Disability Forum
Ground Floor, Kadavu House, Victoria Parade | GPO Box 18458 | Suva, Fiji
Phone: (+679) 3312008 | (+679) 3307530
Mobile: (+679) 7720123
Fax: (+679) 3310469
Skype: simione.bula1
Email: rcperu at pacificdisability.org
Website:
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pacificdisability.or
g%2f&c=E,1,UBSD6bz5YLdzzCvX5c1t7GNfW6ij79wiowzj3-1YwQQ0aBBeGwUksbedRASvn-L_6
QEiPRxSjz5Tdg-3Av0i5hx5HhsEVDxR8NhBCiigPg,,&typo=1>
www.pacificdisability.org
Facebook: Pacific Disability Forum
<https://www.facebook.com/PacificDisabilityForum/>
Twitter: @pdfsec
Revised Logo wave and tagline
Organisation in special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social
Commission since 2012.
The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it,
including any attachments. If you receive this email in error please notify
the sender immediately
_____
_____
[1] Key Messages and Actions for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Schools
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.pacificdisability.org/pipermail/dpo-officemanagers_lists.pacificdisability.org/attachments/20200326/147c93c4/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 4416 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.pacificdisability.org/pipermail/dpo-officemanagers_lists.pacificdisability.org/attachments/20200326/147c93c4/attachment.jpg>
More information about the Dpo-officemanagers
mailing list