Experiences of people with disabilities during Covid-19 in South Africa: the exacerbation of disadvantage
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2022
TITLE AUTHOR(S): T.Hart, M.Wickenden, S.Thompson, Y.D.Davids, Y.Majikijela, M.Ngungu, T.Rubaba, N.Molongoana
KEYWORDS: COVID-19, DISABLED PERSONS, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, PERSONAL WELL-BEING
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9812362
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/19435
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/19435
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
This policy brief presents some of the economic and social well-being experiences and perceptions of people with disabilities during the pandemic, as reported by 1 857 respondents who voluntarily participated in an online survey undertaken during July and August 2021. The majority of the participants were black South Africans (83%). Types of functional difficulties included vision, hearing, mobility, communication, self-care, concentration, and memory challenges. Respondents also reported upper-body immobility, lack of use of their hands, and experiences of anxiety or fear, stress, and depression (psychosocial challenges). The study specifically aimed to reach individuals in order to hear their unique voices. Key findings included inaccessible communications relating to COVID-19, financial and employment challenges, the experience of 'abnormal' events such as food insecurity, increased inadequate access to transport and other essential services, and the psychosocial impact of the pandemic. Based on the findings, we recommend the following: communication in all media formats must be improved to encompass the diversity of disability types; disaster and emergency planning processes must be urgently worked on to become disability inclusive; disability-inclusive baseline data is required over and above data on those who are simply social grant recipients; and there must be inclusive provision across essential and disability-specific service sectors.-
Related Research Outputs:
- Letter to the editor: South African health professionals' state of wellbeing during the emergence of COVID-19
- United Kingdom Research and Innovation awards grant for a national DATAFREE survey on persons with disabilities in South Africa to understand the effects of COVID-19
- The disabling and enabling effects of COVID-19: blog
- Covid-19 and people with disabilities in South Africa: blog
- COVID-19 survey on persons with disabilities: enabling better responses to future crises
- Rapid photovoice as a close-up, emancipatory methodology in student experience research: the case of the student movement violence and wellbeing study
- Learner voices: learning experiences and well-being amidst COVID-19
- Vulnerable but overlooked: the Covid-19 vaccine plight of people with disabilities in South Africa
- Let your voice be heard: tell us about your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Perceptions of persons with disabilities on the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in South Africa
- South Africans with disabilities' experiences of Covid-19: an online survey
- South Africans with disabilities' experience of COVID-19
- Partnering with DPOs: socioeconomic wellbeing and human rights-related experiences of people with disabilities in Covid-19 times in South Africa: an online survey
- Socio-economic wellbeing and human rights-related experiences of people with disabilities in Covid-19 times in South Africa: final report
- Literature review to support a survey to understand the socio-economic, wellbeing and human rights related experiences of people with disabilities during Covid-19 Lockdown in South Africa
- Progress report on the disability assessment tool
- Assessing the accessibility of the physical environment of four ESKOM power stations for disabled people: final report
- Sexual self-esteem and body image of South African spinal cord injured adolescents
- Not without us: the challenges in researching disability
- Economic empowerment of people with disabilities