COVID 19 and the disability movement

Screen-grab from the social protection video on COVID19

What can social protection do for persons with disabilities in the current COVID19 crisis? Why is it important to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure equal access to services? Our colleagues at the Center for Inclusive Policy have put together this informative video. Watch the video through Youtube.

Disclaimer: The following documents, resources and links included below are not from the International Disability Alliance and are provided for informational and advocacy purposes only. They do not constitute endorsement of or an approval by the International Disability Alliance of any of the products, services, or opinions of the corporation, organization, or individual. The International Disability Alliance bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the documents.

We are constantly updating this webpage, so please feel free to send in your resources for inclusion on the web page. Please send your resources directly to eyoussefian [at] ida-secretariat.org. 

Reach the furthest behind first: Persons with disabilities must be prioritized in accessing COVID-19 vaccinations

Read and download our key recommendations:

English - PDF | Word    Español - PDF | Word

On behalf of persons with disabilities and their organizations as well as support networks all over the world, we call on all governments, United Nations agencies and the private sector to immediately take all measures to ensure that:

  1. COVID-19 vaccinations are available in free or low-cost targeted programs to all people including persons with disabilities and support networks of their choice;
  2. Persons with disabilities and support networks of their choice have priority access to vaccinations; including personal assistants, family caregivers, and persons working in disability-related services;
  3. Sites, where vaccinations are delivered, are physically accessible and live guidance and assistance is provided for those who need it. Free or low-cost targeted programs for accessible transportation must be provided where necessary;
  4.  Specific outreach is conducted to ensure that persons with disabilities know of the availability of vaccinations, and all information campaigns are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities, including gender and age-appropriate;
  5. All information systems related to vaccinations must collect data disaggregated by age, gender and disability, and web-based services should also be fully accessible while ensuring respect for private life and the confidentiality of health-related information;
  6. Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination must be based on free and informed consent of persons with disabilities. Autonomy and legal capacity of all persons with disabilities including persons with intellectual disabilities, persons with psychosocial disabilities and autistic persons must not be undermined with justifications such as public good or the best interest of the person;
  7.  International organizations and government must ensure that persons with disabilities and their representative organizations meaningfully participate in policy-making and planning on distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and related processes;
  8. Organizations of persons with disabilities must be properly resourced to become partners in the roll-out of information campaigns, for instance by reaching out to the most marginalized people and ensure their messages are clear, inclusive and accessible.

IDA Survey on Experience of Persons with Disabilities Adapting to COVID-19 Global Pandemic

To hold governments accountable toward disability movement and with the support of the United Nations Partnership for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN PRPD), we have launched IDA survey on Experience of Persons with Disabilities Adapting to COVID-19 Global Pandemic, and invite all persons with disabilities around the world to dedicate some time to answer it, and share it widely within their networks.

Cover of the COVID 19 Disability Rights Monitor report

Catastrophic global failure to protect the rights of persons with disabilities: Findings of the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Global report

Validity Foundation, the European Network on Independent Living, Disability Rights International, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, the International Disability Alliance, the International Disability and Development Consortium, and the Disability Rights Fund/Disability Rights Advocacy Fund are launching today the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor report, a major global initiative to conduct rapid independent monitoring of state measures concerning the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities.

Click here to view the full report. 

Monitor - Bericht der IDA und internationaler Behindertenverbände  über die weltweiten Auswirkungen von COVID 19 auf Menschen mit Behinderungen.  

Disability Rights During the Coronavirus Pandemic: COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor

The International Disability Alliance, along with a number of partners,  launched a COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor. Governments, organisations of persons with disabilities and all relevant stakeholders were invited to complete a survey to highlight issues faced by persons with disabilities in the midst of the COVID19 Pandemic.

Photo of Covid vaccine bottles

In the light of the COVID19 pandemic and with the aim to support a disability-inclusive response to the crisis, International Disability Alliance (IDA) has launched this hub-page to share the most recent updates and resources as they become available. 

If you have any updates on how COVID 19 is affecting persons with disabilities in your area of work, or want to share any good practices or lessons learnt, contact IDA's inclusive humanitarian adviser, Elham Youssefian via eyoussefian [at] ida-secretariat.org.

International Disability Alliance Key Recommendations toward a Disability-Inclusive COVID19 Response

Read and download our key recommendations:

Translations (the following translations of the IDA key recommendations around Covid19 have been provided by external organisations and third parties. IDA bears no responsibility for the accuracy of the documents).

Our key recommendations include: 

  1. Persons with disabilities must receive information about infection mitigating tips, public restriction plans, and the services offered, in a diversity of accessible formats with use of accessible technologies
  2. Additional protective measures must be taken for people with certain types of impairment
  3. Rapid awareness raising and training of personnel involved in the response are essential
  4. All preparedness and response plans must be inclusive of and accessible to women with disabilities
  5. No disability-based institutionalization and abandonment is acceptable
  6. During quarantine, support services, personal assistance, physical and communication accessibility must be ensured
  7. Measures of public restrictions must consider persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others
  8. Persons with disabilities in need of health services due to COVID19 cannot be deprioritized on the ground of their disability
  9. OPDs can and should play a key role in raising awareness of persons with disabilities and their families.
  10. OPDs can and should play a key role in advocating for disability-inclusive response to the COVID19 crisis.

In this section