Impact of COVID-19 on People with Disabilities and the Disability Sector
Issued on July 10 2020
On Monday 29th June, DFI made a submission to the Oireachtas Special Committee on COVID-19 Response on the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and the disability sector. The submission highlighted issues including:
- Initial PPE shortages
- Inadequate funding of community disability services
- Financial deficits and the additional losses due COVID-19
- Digital poverty
- Mental and physical health impacts on people with disabilities and carers
It also highlighted key concerns for people with disabilities as we move into the COVID-19 recovery phase, including:
- The cost of resuming and delivering services due to COVID-19
- Issues that arise for people with disabilities due to workplaces re-opening
- The need to reform services based on the learnings from COVID-19 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- The need to invest to reduce the poverty of people with disabilities and sustain the services that support them
The issues raised in the submission must be addressed to ensure that Ireland's COVID-19 recovery does not leave people with disabilities behind. The learnings identified should also inform planning for any future spikes of COVID-19.