Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

The COVID pandemic continues to escalate across the world, this document has been prepared to;

• Provide some top-line advocacy messages that can be used for advocacy and communications,
• Give a few questions example that you can ask yourself/or other stakeholders to check how people with disabilities are being included,
• Provide key resources for further reading. We recognise the importance of safe, evidence-based messages, and stand by the advice of the World Health Organisation on health-related issues, of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on international coordination, and of the International Disability Alliance on inclusion of people with disabilities in the COVID-19 response. 

Easy to read information about coronavirus (COVID-19) in English with links to similar information in a large number of European languages.

In coordination and partnership with relevant actors at global, regional and national levels, IOM is contributing to the overall objective of the COVID-19 Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to halt further transmission of COVID-19, and mitigate the impact of the outbreak, including its social and economic impacts

Humanity & Inclusion’s teams are assessing its scope for action and plans to use its expertise in emergency situations, working with and for people with disabilities and older people, and its experience of past epidemic situations to protect the most vulnerable. HI has experience in major epidemics of ebola and cholera.

HI published a repository of resources on disability inclusion and COVID-19 as a member of the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and the CORE Group Disability Inclusive Health Technical Advisory Group

The considerations presented in this document have been developed by the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use as a series of messages that can be used in communications to support mental and psychosocial well-being in different target groups during the outbreak. Target groups are: general popluation; healthcare workers; team leaders or managers of health facilities; carers of children;  older adults; people with underlying health conditions and their carers; people in isolation 

This blog discusses the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on people with intellectual disabilities. 

This document provides recommendations for rapid response solutions for federal and state governments to close the real and anticipated gaps in the COVID-19 outbreak and public health emergency-related continuity of operation for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with access and functional needs. Our recommendations include contingency plans for disability and aging services, supports, and programs funded directly with federal or state funds or through federal assistance to state, local, tribal and territorial governments and non-government providers.

In order to reduce the spread and impact of COVID 19 on persons with disabilities globally, The Albino Foundation-DISABILITY INCLUSION NIGERIA PROJECT in alignment with the recommendations of International Disability Alliance (IDA) has come up with simple steps to mitigating the virus within this vulnerable population. The basic measures includes:

1.0 Persons with disabilities

2.0 Government

3.0 Members of the public

Schools perform many functions outside of education. They provide a safe haven, a social arena, and, for families with children with special needs, they offer vital one-to-one support. Online learning, by comparison, is simply not up to the task. So what about their right to an education?