Ever-changing but always constant: "Waves" of disability discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Emily M Lund; Kara B Ayers

doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101374

Ever-changing but always constant: "Waves" of disability discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Disabil Health J. 2022 Oct;15(4):101374. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101374. Epub 2022 Sep 2.

Authors

Emily M Lund¹, Kara B Ayers²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology and Counseling, University of Alabama, USA. Electronic address: emlund@ua.edu.
² Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, USA.

Abstract

The ongoing novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had considerable effects on the disability community. As the pandemic has progressed and changed, the manifestations of these effects have differed, and yet the underlying causes-ableism including the devaluation of disabled lives-have remained consistent. In this commentary, we explore the impact of the pandemic on the disability community in the United States, conceptualizing four distinct but overlapping "waves" of discrimination: 1) healthcare rationing and missed opportunities for disability inclusion, 2) access to resources, supplies, and accommodations; 3) vaccine access; and 4) long COVID and disability identity. Throughout our discussion of these waves, we detail the discrimination faced by people with disabilities, the underlying ableism that perpetuates it, and the resilience shown by the disability community. We end with a call for combating systemic ableism in healthcare and public health systems.

Keywords: Ableism; COVID-19; Disability; Discrimination; Healthcare discrimination.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Disabled Persons*
Humans
Pandemics
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Social Discrimination
United States / epidemiology