The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on People with Disabilities in Indiana
"Some of us have a lot of health issues that we were born with, along with getting this virus makes it a whole lot worse," Ashley Porter points out in an interview about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of Hoosiers with disabilities. This video draws upon themes that emerged on this…
Title
The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on People with Disabilities in Indiana
Subject
Health
Disability Rights Movement
Community Living
Medical
Mental Health
Description
"Some of us have a lot of health issues that we were born with, along with getting this virus makes it a whole lot worse," Ashley Porter points out in an interview about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of Hoosiers with disabilities. This video draws upon themes that emerged on this topic from remote interviews during 2020 to 2022 with people with disabilities, their families, disability professionals, and policy makers.
Themes included a heightened awareness of health disparities, challenges to mental health, and a stressed system of disability services. Interviewees discuss the state's initially low priority for COVID vaccination of people with disabilities. They describe barriers related to health procedures in both vaccination and testing. "No one thought about people with disabilities, having a setup for people with autism, people with developmental disabilities, people with Down syndrome," observes Ledrena Girton. Deaf people experienced communication barriers due to mask use.
Social isolation and loneliness were prevalent topics. There was also loss of loved ones. "I couldn't imagine my life, you know, without Joe," shares Melody Cooper. "He's the man that I had married and loved for 15 years." A chronic shortage of direct care professionals got worse during the pandemic. Families took on new responsibilities in place of missing staff services as well as in suppoting their children’s remotely delivered education. Already a group of people who are underrepresented in the workforce, unemployment was also worsened for those with disabilities.
There were gains achieved due to COVID-19 in the accessibility offered by telehealth, online events, meetings, and classes. Zully Alvarado questions whether the gains will endure. "We don't want to go back to the so-called normal... we've been fighting against that. We don't want it to come back to that."
Themes included a heightened awareness of health disparities, challenges to mental health, and a stressed system of disability services. Interviewees discuss the state's initially low priority for COVID vaccination of people with disabilities. They describe barriers related to health procedures in both vaccination and testing. "No one thought about people with disabilities, having a setup for people with autism, people with developmental disabilities, people with Down syndrome," observes Ledrena Girton. Deaf people experienced communication barriers due to mask use.
Social isolation and loneliness were prevalent topics. There was also loss of loved ones. "I couldn't imagine my life, you know, without Joe," shares Melody Cooper. "He's the man that I had married and loved for 15 years." A chronic shortage of direct care professionals got worse during the pandemic. Families took on new responsibilities in place of missing staff services as well as in suppoting their children’s remotely delivered education. Already a group of people who are underrepresented in the workforce, unemployment was also worsened for those with disabilities.
There were gains achieved due to COVID-19 in the accessibility offered by telehealth, online events, meetings, and classes. Zully Alvarado questions whether the gains will endure. "We don't want to go back to the so-called normal... we've been fighting against that. We don't want it to come back to that."
Creator
Indiana Disability History Project
Publisher
Center for Health Equity at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities
Date
2022-09-30
Contributor
Zully JF Alvarado - interviewee
Melody Cooper - interviewee
Ledrena Girton and Patrice Hunter - interviewees
Kylee Hope - interviewee
Ronelle Johnson - interviewee
Linda Muckway - interviewee
Ashley Porter - interviewee
Seena M. Skelton - interviewee
Marty Stone - interviewee
Teri Whitaker - interviewee
Robert Williams - interviewee
Peggy Holtz - director, videographer/editor
Jane Harlan-Simmons - co-director, scriptwriter, interviewer
Neal Hazeltine - narrator
Rights
Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University
Format
video/mp4
Language
English
Type
Moving Image
Identifier
189-mi
Access Rights
Open to all users
Bibliographic Citation
The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on People with Disabilities in Indiana," YouTube video, 00:12:11, from the Indiana Disability History Project posted by "Indiana Disability History" on September 30, 2022 https://youtu.be/mRsWaKLBEm8
Spatial Coverage
Indiana
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