According to analysis from the CDC, American adults with disabilities are more likely to view the COVID-19 vaccines as safe and effective but are less likely to be vaccinated than adults without a disability. About 82% of disabled Americans have at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 85% of persons without disabilities report at least one dose. Among disabled adults over the age of 65, the gap in vaccination is even larger. The reason for this disparity is that, though they may desire it, disabled Americans report more difficulty in obtaining the vaccine. There are also impediments to persons with disabilities obtaining testing and reliable information about COVID-19. This is in addition to the fact that it can also be difficult for some persons with disabilities to access all the medical care they need, including COVID-related care.
The gap in access to info, testing, and vaccination is troubling, but doubly so when considering that often people with disabilities are one of the most at-risk demographics for COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that on a global scale, persons with disabilities tend to be older, have access to fewer resources, and have a myriad of pre-existing conditions, all of which might lead to a more severe outcome after contracting the virus.
In this way, the pandemic has laid bare systemic medical accessibility issues that people with disabilities were already facing. Information on health is crucial, yet for people with intellectual disabilities and people with disabilities that impair communication, the use of confusing medical jargon and poor communication from doctors have caused fear and misunderstanding about the vaccine, leaving people with disabilities in the dark on a major health issue that affects their daily lives.
But even when information is provided properly, those who desire the vaccine may still be blocked from accessing it due to the many barriers to independent living that still exist. Persons who cannot leave their homes would have to rely on mobile vaccine programs or face trouble acquiring an appointment at a facility with accessibility and finding transportation or assistance that isn’t cost-prohibitive. Those who reside in group homes or detention facilities likely have little autonomy in choosing if or when they are vaccinated despite the desire to be protected. Some populations may be under the guardianship of an individual who does not believe in the scientific efficacy of vaccines, blocking their access to life-saving protection.
For all those reasons, the vaccine rollout amongst people with disabilities has been challenging to say the least. But there are efforts both nationwide and on local levels to begin to close this gap of accessibility.
The Disability Information and Access Line (DIA) was created in May 2021 by disability advocacy groups to field queries from disabled Americans about COVID-19, vaccinations, and testing sites. DIAL is federally funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living and the CDC and is overseen by disability advocacy networks USAging, the National Disability Rights Network, and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. DIAL is surprisingly one of the first hotlines to focus specifically on the needs of persons with disabilities. Servicing a historically underserved population, the call center has been inundated with questions about vaccine site locations, in-home vaccination availability, and general vaccine information, all with the goal of helping persons with disabilities get vaccinated. While the goal of DIAL is to overcome physical and systemic barriers to accessing the vaccine, most people who call the hotline are simply looking for basic information and a little patient guidance on COVID-related issues or any other health accessibility issues facing the disabled community.
DIAL’s necessity highlights a set of facts that were true before the pandemic and have been exacerbated by COVID-19, namely that ableism in bureaucratic procedures impacts access to healthcare for disabled people, and the effect is that often persons with disabilities are left behind in disasters and health crises−even during less turbulent times.
Thankfully, the CDC has recognized the need to close this gap by funding initiatives like DIAL, but given the volume of calls DIAL has received, it’s clear that even more resources are needed for other initiatives to make access to vaccines and COVID-19 information more equitable.
On a more state/regional/local level, disability rights groups in Connecticut are pushing the state’s governor Ned Lamont to prioritize people with disabilities—who are at higher risk of severe illness—when distributing COVID-19 testing kits and masks. Up until this point, Governor Lamont has given municipalities wide discretion in passing out COVID-19 supplies, suggesting but not requiring local officials to prioritize those who are most at risk.
But Disability Rights Connecticut and the Connecticut Legal Rights Project claimed in a letter dated December 31st, 2021, that this approach violates state and federal anti-discrimination laws, stating that persons with disabilities—including those in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and group homes—should legally receive priority in the distribution process.
Connecticut has received a plethora of at-home COVID-19 tests and N95 masks recently with more on the way. As municipalities begin distribution, it often seems to be on a first-come-first-served basis rather than with any prioritization for those most at risk and most in need. Vital healthcare resources like this are limited yet even more necessary in the wake of the Omicron variant, and thus distribution without prioritization is irresponsible, immoral, and possibly illegal, these disability rights groups would argue.
This is not the first time advocates have laid criticism on Lamont on this front. In 2021 Lamont announced that his administration would determine eligibility for vaccines based solely on age rather than giving priority to vulnerable groups.
Hopefully, Lamont and other state leaders will heed this call to make health resources available with prioritization for people with disabilities, and more funding is allocated for organizations like DIAL so that the COVID-19 care accessibility gap continues to shrink.