On 28 November, the European Parliament Special COVID Committee organised a hearing on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on certain groups, including persons with disabilities.
Our contribution
Our Executive Member, Nadia Hadad, was invited to speak on an exchange of views with Members of the European Parliament. She especially underlined the disastrous consequences of settings that congregate and segregate persons with disabilities: “many people dying in residential institutions which became hotbeds of infections”. She affirmed EU Recovery funds need to stop supporting these settings.
She also shared the need to:
- Fund and involve representative organisations of persons with disabilities in all processes from the beginning;
- End discriminatory triage practices, especially by using quality of life as a criterion;
- Improve access to healthcare through guidance and training;
- Collect and provide disaggregated data;
- Support persons with disabilities facing intersectional discrimination.
Discussion outcomes
MEPs and participants shared the relevant views on the impact of the pandemic on persons with disabilities:
- Lack of studies and data regarding the impact of the pandemic on triage and access to healthcare of persons with disabilities;
- Lack of support for persons with disabilities and their families – no protocol for these situations;
- Lack of access to healthcare for persons with disabilities, especially issues of triage of persons with disabilities;
- Lack of access to social services;
- Lack of information for persons with disabilities and their families;
- Persons with disabilities lost income, especially those working in sheltered workshops who didn’t have access to unemployment benefits;
- Impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people and women.
The COVID Committee will present a report on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic. The draft report is expected in March 2023. EDF will closely follow this work.
Related links
Contact
Marine Uldry – Human Rights Policy Coordinator