THE IMPACT OF COVID-19

Before the pandemic, people with disabilities experienced difficult living conditions; having access to adequate housing; education; employment and healthcare. As people with disabilities face discrimination in the labour sector, they are less likely to be employed by employers, which in turn also affect the quality of their health and socio-economic positions. COVID-19 has amplified existing inequities in accessing healthcare for people with disabilities. Most healthcare services shifted from in-person to virtual models, and staff shortages created long waitlists for treatment and diagnostic testing. This left an already vulnerable demographic without the ability to meet with doctors as often as they needed to and lowered their sense of physical and mental well-being as they struggled to receive basic healthcare. Furthermore, certain disabilities made people immunocompromised and therefore more susceptible to COVID-19. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities were more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 compared to the average population. In addition to the physical risk from having more contact with people outside of their social groups (i.e., support workers, personal support workers, congregate care), many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were also at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 due to public health

information being inaccessible for them to understand. For example, there was limited accessible information written in non-scientific language about vaccine side effects, which made it difficult for people with intellectual disabilities to learn about the vaccine and make an informed decision.

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Access to healthcare was not the only way the pandemic affected communities. As people lost their jobs to the pandemic and much work shifted to a virtual workforce, new expenses cut into savings, people needed internet service, a device with a microphone and camera to do video calls, personal protective equipment, grocery delivery, and takeout. For people who were unemployed before COVID-19 due to a disability, things were especially hard when everything shut down. Having a stable source of income was, and still is, a significant marker of well-being because it enables independence, freedom, and choice. It also enables people to invest in their physical and mental well-being such as spending money on entertainment, investing in hobbies, and buying fresh produce to cook healthy food at home. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for people with disabilities as many of them are unemployed (according to the Institute for Work and Health, approximately 795,000 people with disabilities are unemployed) which further affects their ability to save for unforeseen financial hardships. Although government social assistance programs exist, these are insufficient for covering basic expenses. Important to note is that while individuals with

disabilities have been impacted by COVID-19 with respect to access to equitable healthcare and employment, virtual working environments have enabled people with disabilities to work more comfortably within their homes without transportation barriers or sensory overload.

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In Ontario, people with disabilities qualify for up to $1,228/month of funding from the government under a program called the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Critics have pointed out that this amount has not been adjusted to keep up with inflation and has not been increased in years. As the average rent price in Toronto for a 1 bedroom apartment is approximately more than $2,500 and the average cost of living in Toronto is approximately $3,588 (varies according to location– large city versus remote area as well as other expenses, housing, food, transportation, childcare, etc) this means ODSP alone is not sufficient for one person, let alone someone who may be raising a family, receiving post-secondary education, or paying for medical treatments not covered by OHIP. Living wage to survive in Toronto is $25.05/hour, meaning a total take-home monthly income of $4,008 for a fully employed person - ODSP falls very short of that.

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Considering the added expenses of the pandemic, having a disability made life even more unaffordable during the pandemic. Unfortunately, living in poverty comes with its own combination of psychological stressors including the need for strict budgeting and having to make tough decisions about whether you can afford to raise a family. While the cost of living continues to rise, a 6.5% increase in ODSP funding does not cover all living expenses. Although advocates were pushing for disability funding before COVID-19, there has been a renewed push for more affordable funding.