Three Ways USAID is Supporting Persons with Disabilities to Face the Challenges of COVID-19
Promoting a post-pandemic world that is disability inclusive
The COVID-19 global pandemic has challenged all communities, and tested our resilience, tenacity, and patience in ways few could have predicted as 2020 began. This is especially true for those groups who already live at the margins of society, for whom existing inequality and discrimination have exacerbated the negative impacts of the pandemic.
Persons with disabilities are one such group for whom the pandemic has taken an especially harsh toll. Although the true breadth and depth of impact is still emerging, initial research indicates that many persons with disabilities have experienced discrimination in accessing COVID-related information and treatments, resulting in higher rates of mortality, especially for those in group living settings.
Social distancing and lockdown measures have deprived some persons with disabilities of essential services, such as personal assistance, and other support necessary to safely complete even basic activities of daily living. Isolation has exposed others — especially women and girls with disabilities — to higher levels of violence and abuse. For learners with disabilities, the shift to online and other distance learning has brought new accessibility barriers and the threat of falling behind their classmates.
Against this backdrop, USAID has joined the international community in seeking to mitigate the worst impacts of COVID-19 for persons with disabilities and their families.
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we examine three examples of USAID’s work supporting persons with disabilities to be resilient, included, and prepared to face the challenges of COVID-19.
Jordan: The Power of Accessible Social Media in a Pandemic
In the summer of 2019, Islam Al-Kayed, who is deaf, participated in USAID trainings for municipal staff on engaging communities through social media, be it updates on roadworks or public briefings from the mayor. At the time, Islam was a photographer for the Greater Jerash Municipality near Amman, Jordan. Recognizing that written content was not always accessible to deaf community members, and with the agreement of the mayor, Islam began providing sign language interpretation at town halls, and sign language videos on the municipality’s Facebook page.
When COVID-19 cases appeared in Jordan in March 2020, Islam ensured that his signed videos included important information on COVID symptoms and how to prevent spread of the virus. This empowered the deaf community in Jerash with clear, timely information to protect themselves from the virus early on.
From Kenya to Tajikistan: Equipping Children with Disabilities with Accessible Storybooks
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, is a research-based set of principles to guide the design of learning environments accessible and effective for all. This type of learning has become even more important as countries turn to online and distance learning to continue students’ education during the pandemic.
Before COVID-19, efforts were already underway in Kenya and Tajikistan to ensure that children with disabilities could enjoy digital and printed storybooks in accessible formats. The availability of these accessible storybooks proved paramount when COVID-19 hit — and 85 percent of the world’s learners were out of school.
In Kenya, USAID partnered with e-Kitabu (“Book” in Swahili), a local education content organization, to leverage existing early grade storybooks in accessible digital format, and embedding Kenyan Sign Language to create “Digital Story Time.” This daily 30-minute television program for children and families features educational content with voice narration, Kenyan Sign Language, and captions in Kiswahili and English, with images and interactive activities to engage deaf children and hearing children in learning to read together.
In Tajikistan, USAID’s Read with Me Project equipped teachers and students with existing children’s books in braille. These printed storybooks now enable children who read braille to continue their education at home during the pandemic.
Belarus: Empowering Persons with Disabilities and Their Families
Launched in 2014, the Art for Inclusion of People with Disabilities is a USAID/Belarus project that works to prevent placement of persons with disabilities in institutions by improving opportunities for community living.
At the start of the pandemic, the project ensured persons with disabilities and their families had accurate and understandable information to protect themselves from the virus, especially for persons with intellectual or cognitive disabilities. Working in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, USAID implementing partner BelAPD, a civil society organization, developed COVID-related information materials in plain language. A team of expert-evaluators — including persons with cognitive disabilities — tested and revised the materials for accessibility. The materials have been placed in all branches of social protection service providers in Belarus, and distributed through partner organizations.
“Very few are brave enough to ask for an explanation or just ask a question. All are afraid of looking stupid or saying something wrong. Plain language allows avoiding such situations. If we have been told about coronavirus in plain language from the very beginning, we would understand everything.”
— Alena, a person with disabilities and expert evaluator
USAID and our implementing partners have been well situated to address some of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. By empowering organizations of persons with disabilities, and committing to access, inclusion, and principles of universal design in our pre-pandemic development work, we have assisted persons with disabilities to not only survive, but hopefully thrive as we collectively work to move into a post-pandemic world.
About the Author
Katherine Guernsey is the Agency’s Disability Rights Coordinator.
