The impacts of quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic have been well studied and reviewed. Research has associated post-traumatic stress, confusion, anger, frustration, and boredom with the world’s unexpected prolonged social isolation. However, for individuals with disabilities who previously relied on community day services, country-wide closures caused deep disruptions to their daily lives.
What type of settings were affected?
Millions of individuals with disabilities utilize community service centers around the United States each day. These include adult day service centers, day habilitation programs, and special education needs schools (SENs). Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home orders prevented many of these centers from maintaining normal operations. This caused further isolation for the disability community, and for many, took away their primary means of intellectual or social stimulation.
What services were missed?
According to the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA), adult day centers are “designed to provide social and some health services to adults who need supervised care outside the home during the day”. This organization reports approximately 43% of its attendees have some form of a physical disability. These programs are open to those with physical, intellectual, psychological, and many other disabilities.
Similarly, day habilitation programs focus on tips for independent living and career training for individuals with disabilities. These programs mentor and guide individuals to achieve maximum independence in their finances, careers, community, and more.
In the same category is special education schools or SENs. These schools cater to a population, creating a space for students with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities. SENS provide individualized plans and direct access to special education teachers to help achieve optimal outcomes for each student. Throughout the pandemic, numerous centers were temporarily or permanently closed, leaving behind millions of individuals of all ages.
What were the consequences?
A study by Easterseals published in May of 2021 highlighted some of the impacts of community service closures. They found:
- 25% of study participants with disabilities reported decreased physical health during COVID-19
- 79% of study participants with disabilities reported feeling isolated during COVID-19
- 46% of study participants with disabilities were no longer able to access services during COVID-19
- 89% of students with disabilities did not meet their expected milestones
How to help
There are several ways both disabled and non-disabled individuals can support these services and help those with disabilities reintegrate into their communities after COVID-19. The National Disability Institute (NDI) is a great place to start. On their website, the NDI provides free resources on everything from accessing public benefits, tips for financial management, and information on health insurance policies and coverage. These resources can increase awareness for those with disabilities and highlight some additional community programs. As the world begins to recover from COVID-19, it seems everyone is trying to catch up for the lost time. The disability community is no different; the next year will focus on catching up on job training, social connections, financial management, and much more.
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