Page 12 - Community Living Magazine 34-2

coronavirus
Covid-19 on a global scale

Coronavirus has affected people with learning disabilities, their
friends and families and those who support them around the
world. How are they managing?

Australia Ghana Canada
The pandemic has There were concerns Health and social
highlighted global that poor health services are
systematic inequities infrastructure in West both provincial
and failures related to the rights of people Africa would mean worse outcomes here responsibilities so it is difficult to speak of
with learning disabilities to equitable than in the rest of the world. a Canadian response. I will outline some
treatment. Australia is no exception So far, for reasons not fully understood, key responses and issues.
to this. Ghana has had lower rates of infection A federal disability advisory group
Health inequities experienced by people and less severity than Europe. Life for was formed early on and was involved in
with learning disabilities were highlighted many after some initial local lockdowns key policy decisions, notably on triage.
at the Royal Commission into Violence, has continued fairly normally – although The federal government created a
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with restrictions on the usually large one-time Can$600 (£350) grant for
with Disability early in 2020. gatherings at funerals and weddings. Canadians with disabilities. In addition,
These included barriers faced when Posters and health promotions advising the National Statistics Agency has tracked
accessing and receiving healthcare and “Don’t shake hands, wear nose masks and how disabled people have been coping
services, delayed diagnoses and wash hands” have been the main means with the pandemic.
misdiagnoses, as well as limited of combating the spread. British Columbia had one of the better
life expectancy. Adults at a residential centre in the responses both to the virus and with
These inequities have become capital Accra had differing experiences. regards to disability. A ministerial
particularly concerning during the Education facilities were closed, and the disability advisory group was formed,
pandemic, and were combined with the centre went into quarantine in March. which met the minister and his
risk of prejudice and attitudinal biases, Some went home to families, and told us staff monthly.
which can lead to people having a lower they were bored and missing their friends. Hospital visits were a major issue.
priority for prevention, testing and Those left were allowed to go out only Initially, no visitors were allowed, which
treatment for Covid-19. occasionally with face masks and close left people with intellectual disabilities
These concerns led to the release of a supervision. There were no visitors, so isolated and vulnerable.
national position statement signed by there was little activity apart from Through strong advocacy efforts, an
numerous groups and individuals, calling cooking, washing and personal care. exemption for people with intellectual
for equitable access to Covid-19 For those with the highest support disabilities was established so family or
prevention, screening and treatment for needs, there was no mixing between others could be with them. British
people with intellectual or developmental dormitories and no going out. This has Columbia also immediately raised the
disability in March 2020; the statement now been relaxed to allow walks and monthly disability benefit by
can be downloaded from https:// activities in the grounds. The centre has Can$300 (£175).
www.3dn.unsw.edu.au/covid-19. remained Covid free. Other concerns included how to
Another inequity that became strikingly Some have taken up opportunities to support families with children at home
apparent during Covid-19 is that many work in the kitchen or lead the worship, when programmes shut down and
people with learning disabilities have as the more able members who usually support workers were not able to visit
limited access to the internet and to smart did these have gone home. them. Access to personal protective
technology, often the result of poverty. Supplying Veronica buckets (to provide equipment was also an issue.
Numerous stakeholders, including running water) and occasional visits by While neither of these were fully or
self-advocacy groups, have made an social workers to check that the advice is quickly addressed, programme
enormous effort to move their services understood appear to be the only specific modifications and extra funding for
and support for people from face-to-face government support. n families and different types of residential
to online space in practically no time. accommodation provided some relief.
However, they could offer online support Jane Abraham is Here, as in many jurisdictions, Covid-19
only to those with access to the internet. an involvement has exposed the precarity and
Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic worker at vulnerability of people with disabilities.
highlighted to us that easy and, ideally, Lambeth Learning However, it also provided a platform to
free access to the internet should be a Disabilities call for major systemic reform well beyond
basic right for all citizens. n Assembly who the pandemic. n
now mainly
Iva Strnadová is a professor in the School supports self- Tim Stainton is director of the Centre for
of Education at the University of New advocates Inclusion and Citizenship at the University
South Wales, Sydney Virus testing in Ghana in Ghana of British Columbia, Vancouver

12 Vol 34 No 2 | Winter 2021 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk