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Add to Preferred SourcesThe COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying inequalities experienced by the world’s one billion people with disabilities, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in launching a report that calls for a disability-inclusive recovery and response to the crisis.
Even under normal circumstances, people with disabilities are less likely to access education, healthcare, and income opportunities, or to participate in their communities, according to Mr. Guterres.
They are also more likely to live in poverty and to suffer higher rates of violence, neglect and abuse.
Mr. Guterres said people with disabilities are among the hardest hit. They face a lack of accessible public health information and significant barriers to implement basic hygiene measures, as well as inaccessible health facilities.
#COVID19 is intensifying the inequalities people with disabilities face under normal circumstances.
We must guarantee the equal rights of people with disabilities to access healthcare & lifesaving procedures during the pandemic.https://t.co/z2LrZk5BgU pic.twitter.com/Gsv4jxb0YS
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 6, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting people with disabilities in other ways. Mr. Guterres said those who faced employment exclusion before the crisis are now more likely to lose their jobs. They also will experience greater difficulties in returning to work.
Yet, less than 30 percent of people with significant disabilities have access to benefits. In low-income countries, the number is only one percent.
Meanwhile, people with disabilities – particularly, women and girls – face a greater risk of domestic violence, which has surged during the pandemic.
The UN chief urged governments to place people with disabilities at the centre of COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, and to consult and engage with them.
This sector of the population also has valuable experience to offer regarding thriving in situations of isolation and alternate working arrangements.
“When we secure the rights of people with disabilities, we are investing in our common future”, the UN chief said.
Read and download the Policy Brief: A Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19
Original source: UN News
Published on 06 May 2020