C O V I D - 1 9 R E P O RTS
Persons with disabilities and their rights in the COVID-19 pandemic: leaving no one behind January 2021
Introduction1 Since March 2020, Latin America and the Caribbean has been facing a health, social and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The crisis has deepened pre-existing inequalities within countries, revealed the extent to which the most vulnerable groups in the population are excluded, and highlighted the urgency of including persons with disabilities in public policy actions taken in the short, medium and long term (ECLAC, 2020a and 2020b; ECLAC/PAHO, 2020). There are around 70 million persons with disabilities in the region. They are one of the most excluded groups in society and are among the most affected by the pandemic. Before the health crisis, they were already less likely to participate in the community or to have access to health care, education or employment. A considerable proportion of them live in poverty and are exposed to higher rates of violence, neglect and abuse than the rest of the population. They are also among the most marginalized groups in communities in crisis situations.
Introduction A. International instruments that protect the rights of persons with disabilities in situations of humanitarian risk B. A sociodemographic overview of persons with disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean, prior to the pandemic C. Recommendations on public policy actions Bibliography
Persons with disabilities are more severely affected by the attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers that are perpetuated in the response to COVID-19. In addition, many have pre-existing health conditions that make them more susceptible to contracting the virus and they have more severe symptoms upon infection, leading to high mortality rates. In this context, the international message to States must be reinforced, so that all actions concerning persons with disabilities are carried out with a rights-based approach, to ensure that no one is left behind, or left out of medium- and long-term post-pandemic strategies. Protection of their rights must be strengthened in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development. These instruments put persons with disabilities at the centre, as rights holders who must be involved in all stages of measures adopted by States, from planning and implementation to accountability. Up-to-date statistical information on persons with disabilities is in short supply in the region, and information on COVID-19 trends among this population group is even more scarce. There are no data disaggregated by disability, which makes analysis and decisionmaking difficult during this crisis and in subsequent recovery efforts. This document examines the situation of persons with disabilities, in terms of the impact that COVID-19 could have, taking into consideration age and sex, health conditions, types of disability, access to basic infrastructure, overcrowding in the home, access to information and communications technology (ICT), employment status and education. In conclusion, the report presents some national actions that have been taken to reduce the impact of the pandemic and recommendations for addressing the devastating social and economic effects of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. 1
The cut-off date for the information used to prepare this report is 30 September 2020, unless otherwise indicated.
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