COVID-19 Disability Resources

COVID-19 Resources

RI Member Resources

Zhang Haidi: Provide services and protection for people with disabilities within normalized pandemic prevention and control

CDPF coordinates epidemic prevention and employment for people with disabilities

Grassroots disabled people’s federations and workers with disabilities show grit in virus battle

Resources by Country – Africa

Egypt

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s technical centre for services for persons with disabilities launched the “Wasel” mobile app to allow people with hearing disabilities access to COVID-19 information.

Malawi

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi donated COVID-19 information booklets in Braille.

Morocco

Ministry of Solidarity and Social Development – Protection of persons with disabilities – COVID-19 Website information in Arabic.

Mozambique

COVID-19 Rapid needs assessment of older people

Rwanda

Rwanda National Union of the Deaf – Announcement on Enhanced COVID-19 Prevention Measures released by Office of Prime Minister.

America

Canada

Government of Canada – COVID-19 and people with disabilities page to provide information and advice about the coronavirus pandemic.
British Columbia – COVID-19 support for people with disabilities measures in place to ensure that people on income or disability assistance and low-income seniors do not encounter additional barriers.

United States

White House Coronavirus Task Force – COVID-19 Information facts about the coronavirus, for self-protection and what to do if someone is sick.
EEOC – Pandemic preparedness in the workplace and the ADA technical assistance document providing information about Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act and pandemic planning in the workplace.
Chicago Department of Public Health – Guidance for People at Higher Risk actions to reduce someone’s risk of getting sick with the disease.
Centre for Disease Control – ASL: COVID-19 resources are videos informing people in the ASL community about what is going on with the coronavirus along with what they need to know.
National Association of the Deaf – COVID-19 information – ASL the NAD CEO Howard A. Rosenblum shares news about Coronavirus and other issues related to COVID-19 and the NAD.
Centre for Disease Control – People at risk for series illness videos and link to resources for people at increased risk for severe illness.
Center for Independence of the Disabled New York – Coronavirus information services for New York residents with disabilities, including general COVID-19 information.
National Organization for Rare Diseases – Guidance on prevention and risk for rare community advice from health authorities and their medical team regarding personal health and safety.
The Colorado Cross-Disability Association – The Coronavirus & People with Disabilities information about COVID-19 or the Coronavirus, and what it means for people with disabilities in Colorado.
FDA given its approval to the transparent mask in production and can be purchased online.
CDC – COVID-19 information for people with disabilities.
CDC – How to make your own face mask link to a Youtube video on how to make your own mask.
Johns Hopkins University – Pandemic Map and Data dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) with data from 188 countries/regions.
People with vision disabilities – Database of COVID-19 statistics site with critical COVID-19 statistics available in a text format that is easy to read and understand.
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) announced the creation of a Health Care Relief Fund to support Delaware health care providers through the COVID-19 crisis.

Latin America

Argentina

A guideline for fighting gender violence during quarantine for persons with disabilities, their families and caregivers, prepared by a local NGO.

Chile

Guide for mental health prepared by Special Olympics Chile and the Friends Forever Foundation along with talks through their social media networks.
Chile, for employers (Spanish) – COVID-19 with recommendations for reasonable accommodations in the COVID-19 context.

Mexico

Mexican Government – COVID-19 Mobile App Mobile app with general health recommendations.
Mexico – Disability COVID-19 Guidelines (Spanish), Recommendations for persons with disabilities during the pandemic and confinement.

PAHO – Guidelines for Coronavirus and Disability (Spanish)
General recommendations for Persons with Disabilities (Spanish)

Asia

Australia

Australia Government – Coronavirus App and WhatsApp service to provide information and advice about the coronavirus pandemic.
Australia Government – The Home Medicines Service is available for people in home isolation and for vulnerable patient groups who wish to limit their potential exposure to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.
CRE-DH – COVID-19 and persons with disabilities, important message about people with disability and the COVID-19 response.
Tasmanian Government – COVID-19 Disability Information recommendations for people with disabilities, family and carers.
Disability services sector COVID-19 – Read about coronavirus advice, directions and support for the disability sector.
The Australian Human Rights Commission developed the Guidelines on the rights of people with disability in health and disability care during COVID-19 to assist health care, disability services and support workers take a human rights-based approach to decision-making during the pandemic.
“Left out and locked down” – The experiences of persons with disabilities and their families during COVID19.
People with disability: Information about COVID-19.
Community support phone line launched to help during COVID-19.

Bangladesh

WHO COVID-19 Bangla Sign Language link to YouTube video with information on BSL.

China

COVID-19 Sign Language Videos link to article referencing videos from Sichuan Province, with information in sign language.
How to make transparent face mask for sign language interpreter link to YouTube video with information on this topic, in Chinese sign language.
The Recommendations for the Management of Chinese Children With Epilepsy During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

India

DEPwD – Comprehensive Disability Inclusive Guidelines to States/UTs for protection and safety of persons with Disabilities in light of COVID-19.

India’s Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry launched Kiran, a 24×7 toll-free mental health counselling helpline.

Report – Neglected and Forgotten: Women with disabilities during the COVID crisis in India.

Life in the Times of COVID-19: A Guide for Parents of Children with Disabilities, explains and illustrates the different aspects that a parent/caregiver must take into account while taking care of children with disabilities.

Japan

Coronavirus – Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan information in Japanese.

Latest updates on COVID-19 in Tokyo information in Japanese.

JAL and ANA announces new accessibility guidelines for customers with disabilities in response to COVID-19.

Mongolia

Mongolia government, ADB sign projects to improve COVID response and improve its efforts to provide children with disabilities better access to quality education.

Nepal

COVID-19 Nepali Sign Language link to YouTube video with information on this topic, in Nepalese sign language.

New Zealand

New Zealand Ministry of Health – COVID-19: Information for disabled people information specifically for disabled people and their family and whānau as well as links to accessible formats.
COVID-19 – New Zealand Sign Language videos are provided by Deaf Aotearoa. It summarises key information on the health advice for the general public page.

Europe

EDF: COVID-19 and the disability movement a comprehensive update of the EDF work and the work of its members in advocating for a disability inclusive response.
Inclusion Europe: Easy to read information about Coronavirus in many languages with links to external sites from different countries.

France

COVID-19 – French Sign Language with several videos.

Greece

Greece – NCDP Briefing paper link with information on The National Confederation of Disabled People (NCDP) of Greece about COVID-19.

Netherlands

Netherlands announced €6 million to support “Education Cannot Wait’s” COVID-19 education in emergency response.

Scotland

Coronavirus Helpline that has been opened to deliver help and information to Scots who are at significant possibility from coronavirus and do not have a assistance network at property.

United Kingdom

Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Ethical considerations in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with review of ethical considerations draws on the findings of a number of in-depth inquiries conducted by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Down Syndrome International: Coronavirus page with the latest information and resources related to people with Down syndrome and COVID-19.

Middle East

Jordan

HCD resources for people with intellectual disabilities – YouTube Channel link to article with information on The Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) COVID-19 information YouTube channel, to support people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

International Organizations

United Nations – Preventing discrimination against people with disabilities in COVID-19 response Interview to Lindsay Lee, a WHO Technical Officer who works on issues related to people with disabilities.
United Nations – Mental Health of Persons with Disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic – Joint Statement
United Nations – COVID-19 response website
United Nations – A UN Framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19, report sets out the UN urgent socio-economic support to countries and societies in the face of COVID-19.
United Nations – Launch of Humanitarian Appeal to keep COVID-19 from circling back around the globe.
UN Secretary-General – COVID-19 and disability page with reports, statements, opinion and communications to the Press and Staff.

UNDESA – Everyone Included: Social Impact of COVID-19
UNDESA – Policy Brief: A Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19
UNDESA – Various COVID-19 Resources

Recover Better: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities – UN DESA has issued this new volume of essays from the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs offers new guidance for rebuilding societies in a fairer, more inclusive way. The compilation, “Recover Better: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities” provides outside-the-box thinking and new solutions to some of this era’s most pressing tests. The authors advance ideas on issues that include improving international tax cooperation, more equitable access to digital technological advances, and sustainable natural resource management that complement the broader recommendations of the Secretary-General regarding shared responsibility and global solidarity in responding to the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19.

Responding to COVID-19 and Recovering Better – These policy briefs from UN DESA represent a series that ran from 1 April through June 2020 and aimed to complement and support the UN Secretary-General’s initiatives in response to COVID-19 and provide the detailed analysis and solid evidence needed for effective decision-making at global, regional and national levels. The briefs advised on a number of critical social and economic issues, including designing inclusive stimulus packages, preventing a global debt crisis, supporting countries in special situations, protecting the most vulnerable groups of people, strengthening the role of science, technology and institutions for effective response, and working together to build back better and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

World Health Organisation (WHO) – Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
WHO – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic information about advice for the public, country and technical guidance, timeline of WHO’s response, among other topics.
WHO issues advice on the use of masks for children in the community in the context of COVID-19.
WHO and UNICEF signed a new collaborative framework which will accelerate joint public health efforts that put the most marginalized and vulnerable populations first.
COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey.

UNICEF – COVID-19 response: Considerations for Children and Adults with Disabilities
UNICEF – Risk Communication & Community Engagement for COVID-19 – Engaging with Children and Adults with Disabilities

International Labor Organisation – COVID-19 and the World of Work articles and news on COVID-19 and labor.
ILO – COVID-19 information (Spanish) five key points for supporting persons with disabilities against COVID-19.

Relief Web – How to include marginalized and vulnerable people in risk communication and community engagement – COVID-19
Save the Children – 10 Things You Should Know about COVID-19 and Persons with Disabilities more information in the link.
IPC – Information for Para athletes and IPC members on COVID-19 with the COVID-19 pandemic and how it relates to the Paralympic Games and Para sport.
International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Guidance on Accessible Air Travel in Response to COVID-19, which lays out the basic principles for airlines to follow on special assistance requests.

Last modified: November 6, 2020