Into Facing the Pandemic with a Disability

From the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, many officials warned it was crucial to slow the spread of the virus to protect what they called the most vulnerable people: the elderly and those with underlying conditions. The people who have been mentioned far less often are those with disabilities.

Having a disability isn’t a risk factor for COVID-19 on its own, but according to the CDC, people with disabilities often do have other health conditions that put them at risk. It can also be harder for some people to socially distance if they have caretakers or are in a group home setting.

It’s hard to know the full scope of the risk because there’s no comprehensive data on COVID rates among people with disabilities, but around the country, some group homes for disabled people have been coping with serious outbreaks.

On this episode of Into America, 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Trymaine Lee talks with disability rights advocate and writer Andrew Pulrang about how people with disabilities are weathering the pandemic and navigating the future.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• “Americans Want To Be ‘Over’ Covid-19 — But Disabled People Still Have Questions” by Andrew Pulrang in Forbes
• “Covid-19 Deaths Higher in Those with Disabilities”
• “’I Hate Covid-19': Kids with Disabilities Struggle to Adjust as Schools Close”

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