Low-Mobility Groups in Russian Press: Analysis of Representations of Vulnerable Groups before and during the Pandemic

The article presents the results of content analysis and network media analysis in the dynamics of changes in the discourse about low-mobility groups in Russian print media before and during the coronavirus pandemic. The following subgroups were classified in the study as low-mobility: persons with impairments and disabilities, elderly people, pregnant women, people with small children. The research is based on the analysis of materials from the archives of the daily editions of Rossiyskaya Gazeta (RG) and Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP). The discourse about the accessible environment has significantly decreased over the past four years on the pages of RG and KP, and this suggests that the issues of comfort and accessibility of public spaces for all citizens have lost their former problematic relevance. At the same time, the discourse about persons with disabilities (PWD) remains quite noticeable. But, if in RG its intensity has hardly changed, then in KP the discourse about PWD has shrunk in the first two years of the pandemic. In RG, on the contrary, with the beginning of the pandemic, more materials about the experience of the disease of PWD began to be published. Most of the other materials in RG and KP wrote about the elderly and PWD. They are represented as needing support or initiators of any social actions. The analysis revealed the emphasis on self-sufficiency and activity of representatives of the studied groups associated with an imbalance in the distribution of responsibility for solving the problems of socially vulnerable citizens.

Determining Factors of Psychosocial Wellbeing Among People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mediating Role of Social Support

This study aimed to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the stress levels and life satisfaction of individuals with disabilities and what role social support plays in mitigating these impacts. Data from individuals with disabilities (n = 600) were extracted from a larger international cross-sectional survey study. Regression analyses were conducted to examine how personal and environmental factors contributed to stress levels and life satisfaction changes during the pandemic. Mediation analyses were used to test whether social support mediated the association between stress level and life satisfaction. The negative impact of the pandemic, having a psychiatric disability, being a female, and being younger significantly predicted stress levels. Moreover, the negative impact of the pandemic and stress levels significantly predicted life satisfaction. The relationship between stress levels and life satisfaction was mediated by social support from significant others and friends. There is an urgent need to provide training and education for healthcare professionals, families, and caregivers on the basic aspects of mental health care, developing time-limited and culturally-sensitive mental health interventions, and strategies for expanding the social support system for the population. Broad dissemination of effective therapeutic strategies is crucial in mitigating the negative psychosocial impact of the pandemic.

Protecting the Right to Social Participation of Older Persons in Long-Term Care under Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn public attention to the long-standing issues of social isolation and loneliness of older persons living in residential long-term care (LTC) and has increased awareness of the importance of social participation. This article aims to contribute towards a shift in the understanding of how the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) may be applied in aged-care. It argues that the CRPD, in particular Article 19 (Living independently and being included in the community), has considerable potential to protect the right to social participation. It is also argued that changes in LTC settings and support may assist in protecting this right. Furthermore, the participation of older persons in this process and cultural change within LTC provider organizations and the general community is crucial. However, applying the Convention in the aged-care context raises challenges that require further consideration by human rights mechanisms.

Centering economic inclusion in policy for realizing disability rights in India

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on persons with disabilities has laid bare the link between health and economic outcomes. This article reviews the legal and policy framework impacting economic outcomes for persons with disabilities in India against the backdrop of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty, economic growth, and productive employment. It offers a policy framework for realizing the human rights of persons with disabilities by advancing their inclusion in India's economic development. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Changes in Going Out after Lifting a Stay-At-Home Order and Decreases of Higher-Level Functional Capacities

To clarify associations between changes in going out after lifting a stay-at-home order and decrease in higher-level functional capacities among older adults with impairments. This study was conducted using questionnaires completed by people registered in two day-service facilities and a nursing station. A baseline survey was conducted during Japan's declaration of emergency for the coronavirus disease 2019, and follow-up surveys were conducted in 4, 8, and 12 months after the declaration was lifted. We performed binary logistic regression analyses to clarify the above associations There were significant associations between Δ sum of purposes of going out and the decrease in higher-level functional capacities in 4 months (OR 0.57) and in 8 months (OR 0.47). Increasing the sum of purposes of going out after lifting a stay-at-home order was associated with lower odds for a decrease in higher-level functional capacities in 4 and 8 months.

Conceptualizing the Episodic Nature of Disability among Adults Living With Long COVID: Qualitative Study...American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) 99th Annual Conference, November 8-11, 2022, Chicago, Illinois

To describe experiences of disability among adults living with Long COVID. We conducted a community-engaged qualitative descriptive study involving online semi-structured interviews. We recruited participants via collaborator community networks in Canada, United Kingdom, United States and Ireland. Adults who self-identified as living with Long COVID, defined as signs and symptoms that develop during or following an infection consistent with COVID-19, which continue for 12-weeks or more and not explained by an alternative diagnosis. We purposively recruited for diversity in country, gender, age, sexual orientation, and duration since initial COVID-19 infection. Not applicable. We used a semi-structured interview guide to explore experiences of disability living with Long COVID, specifically health-related challenges and how they were experienced over time. We asked participants to draw their health trajectory. We conducted a group-based content analysis. Among the 40 participants (10 per country), the median age was 39 years;majority were women (63%), white (73%), heterosexual (75%), and living with Long COVID for ≥1 year (83%). Participants described their disability experiences as episodic in nature, characterized by fluctuations in presence and severity of health-related challenges (disability) that may occur within the day to over the long-term living with Long COVID. They described living with 'ups and downs', 'flare-ups', and 'peaks' followed by 'crashes', 'troughs', and 'valleys', likened to a 'yo-yo' 'rolling hills', and 'rollercoaster ride' with 'relapsing/remitting', 'waxing/waning', 'fluctuations' in health. Illustrations demonstrated trajectories of health dimensions, some more episodic than others. Uncertainty intersected with the episodic nature of disability, characterized as unpredictability of episodes, their length, severity and triggers, and process of long-term recovery, which had implications on broader health. Experiences of disability were described as episodic in nature, characterized by fluctuating health challenges, which may be unpredictable among this sample of adults living with Long COVID. Results will help to better understand experiences of disability among adults living with Long COVID and inform approaches for rehabilitation. None.

Editorial: An international showcase

Accessible summary: After the consultation with people with learning disabilities, the topic of health inequalities was chosen for the 2024 special issue.The lives of people with learning disabilities around the world was also of interest to people so we have made this the theme of this issue. There are papers from the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Belgium, Chile and Iceland.We also have papers about life in the COVID‐19 pandemic.

A survey on the use of remote consultation for people with intellectual disability: The experience of community intellectual disability teams

Since COVID-19, remote consultation (by telephone and video) has become widespread. This study investigated the experience of using remote consultation in Specialist Intellectual Disability Community services. A total of 126 health staff working across eight Specialist Intellectual Disability Community teams in the NHS Health Board of Greater Glasgow and Clyde were asked to complete a short Likert-scale survey about remote consultation. There were 61 (48%) respondents from a range of disciplines. Overall, respondents were positive about remote consultation but found it was often inadequate to complete a full patient assessment. Moving forwards, respondents wanted around 60% of all consultations to remain face-to-face. It was significantly more difficult to engage and communicate with patients with more severe levels of disability. Remote consultation has been successful, but there is still a need for face-to-face assessment in intellectual disability services, particularly when working with people with more severe levels of disability.

The invisible lockdown: reflections on disability during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic

In this autoethnography, BW and I explore the various ways in which my experiences of lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic are not altogether different from my everyday experiences as a visually impaired person. Further, we make sense of my experience that, notwithstanding the social world's expression of feelings about lockdown and social distancing, my own reactions to disability-imposed lockdown remain unrecognized, invalidated and unseen. Making sense of these experiences of invisibility is essential, since it is only when our experiences are truly contemplated by others that we can have the hope of being fully known. In this paper, my co-author and I explain the various ways in which my experiences of lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic are not altogether different from my everyday experiences as a visually impaired person;I provide examples to illustrate that there are anxiety-provoking challenges lurking outside my home;Yet, giving in to these anxieties and being confined to my home is too painful to give in to;While my everyday experiences are, too some extent, what the world is experiencing at the current moment with social distancing and lockdown, my feelings about disability-imposed lockdown remain unrecognized, invalidated and unseen;It is important to voice and make known these realities, For it is only when our experiences are truly seen—when we are completely known—that we can move towards self-acceptance.

The Initial Development and Practice of Training Materials Using 3D Printer to Employment Support for Inclusive Society

In Japan, in the field of employment of person of with disabilities, the number of employments is increasing but still there is a problem that there are only a few employment types and industries. [1] In real time, COVID-19 infection control measures in addition to the use of ICT have accelerated new work styles. Also, 3D printers are creating new designs and manufacturing styles. [2], [3] Based on these, the purpose of this research is to develop the training materials so that person with disabilities can become operator of 3D printer and get the work. Finally, the use of it might make inclusive society. The research method is to develop training material and then conduct experiments to use it to verify the training effect. The training material is a video format consisting of slides and audio that can replay and stop by learners. Also, the training content is a basic knowledge of 3D printers and actual modeling operations. In the experiments, learners use the material and make a model and then they answered the questionnaire survey. As a result, by the cross tabulation of the frequency of reviewing the manual and the feeling about the speed of the manual was demonstrated that the speed of manual, contents and understanding of explanation are appropriate without the extreme repetition. In conclusion, it was found that manuals with video and audio were easier to understand in those icons could be shown when necessary. However, there are problems that it would not be possible to respond flexibly in the case of an operation error and in the case of lengthy process. © 2022 IEEE.

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Anxiety Levels and Sleep among University Students

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the effects of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the anxiety and sleep levels of university students. Materials and Methods: The population of this descriptive study consisted of students who studied in health departments. The data were collected with a questionnaire that consisted of the descriptive characteristics form, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: A total of 70.5% of the students who participated in the study were female. 9.0% of the students use drugs and 38.4% of them smoke. The difference between anxiety score averages and having a chronic disease, continuous drug use, smoking, and being a disabled person in the living environment is significant. Sleep quality scores were found to be "elevated" and significant for those who constantly used drugs, had a family member with a disability and/or a person over the age of 65, and those who smoked. It also affected the sleep quality scores of those who were infected with the Coronavirus, those who had family members with Coronavirus in their family, and/or students who had a relative who died from the Coronavirus. Conclusion: It can be argued that the anxiety frequency of the students increased and their sleep quality deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Having a family member over the age of 65, having a disabled person, being infected with the Coronavirus and/or losing one of their relatives to the Coronavirus affected the anxiety and sleep quality scores of the students. Amaç: Bu çalışma, Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 (COVID-19) pandemisinin üniversite öğrencilerinin anksiyete ve uyku düzeyleri üzerine etkilerini incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı tipte olan araştırmanın evrenini sağlık bölümlerinde okuyan öğrenciler oluşturmuştur. Veriler öğrencilerin tanımlayıcı özellikleri ile Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği ve Pittsburg Uyku Kalitesi Ölçeği'nden oluşan bir anket aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Araştırmaya katılan öğrencilerin %70,5'i kadındı. Öğrencilerin %9,0'ı ilaç, %38,4'ü sigara kullanmakta idi. Anksiyete puan ortalamaları ile kronik hastalık öyküsü, sürekli ilaç kullanımı, sigara, yaşadığı ortamda engelli birey olması durumları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark saptandı. Sürekli ilaç kullananların, ailesinde engelli birey ve/veya 65 yaş üstü birey olanların ve sigara kullananların uyku kalitesi puanları "yüksek" ve anlamlı bulunmuştur. Koronavirüse yakalananların, ailesinde koronavirüse yakalananların ve/veya koronavirüsten vefat eden yakını olan öğrencilerin uyku kalitesi puanları "yüksek" ve anlamlı bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Öğrencilerin COVID-19 pandemisi döneminde anksiyete sıklığının arttığı ve uyku kalitesinin bozulduğu söylenebilir. Ailede 65 yaş üzeri bireyin olması, engelli bireyin olması, koronavirüse yakalanmış olması ve/veya yakınlarından birini koronavirüsten kaybetmiş olması, öğrencilerin anksiyete ve uyku kalitesi puanını etkilemiştir.

Severity of COVID-19 Hospitalization Outcomes and Patient Disposition Differ by Disability Status and Disability Type.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inequities may place people with disabilities at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness or lower likelihood to be discharged home after hospitalization. We examined whether severity of COVID-19 hospitalization outcomes and disposition differ by disability status and disability type. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of April 2020-November 2021 hospital-based administrative data among 745,375 people hospitalized with COVID-19 from 866 US hospitals, people with disabilities (n = 120,360) were identified via ICD-10-CM codes. Outcomes compared by disability status included intensive care admission, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), in-hospital mortality, 30-day readmission, length of stay, and disposition (discharge to home, long-term care facility (LTCF), or skilled nursing facility (SNF). RESULTS: People with disabilities had increased risks of IMV (aRR: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.03-1.08) and in-hospital mortality (1.04; 1.02-1.06) compared to those with no disability; risks were higher among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) (IMV [1.34; 1.28-1.40], mortality [1.31; 1.26-1.37]) or mobility disabilities (IMV [1.13; 1.09-1.16], mortality [1.04; 1.01-1.07]). Risk of readmission was increased among people with any disability (1.23; 1.20-1.27) and each disability type. Risks of discharge to a LTCF (1.45, 1.39-1.49) or SNF (1.78, 1.74-1.81) were increased among community-dwelling people with each disability type. CONCLUSIONS: Severity of COVID-19 hospitalization outcomes vary by disability status and type; IDD and mobility disabilities were associated with higher risks of severe outcomes. Disparities such as differences in discharge disposition by disability status require further study which would be facilitated by standardized data on disability. Increased readmission across disability types indicates a need to improve discharge planning and support services.

WHAT'S HAPPENING: PANDEMIC MEDICAL INNOVATIONS LEAVE BEHIND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

The article describes the condition of people with disabilities during the pandemic. Topics discussed include case of 35-year-old deaf-blind woman Diyya Goel who was denied an interpreter at two telemedicine doctors' appointments during the pandemic, proportion of adults in the U.S. who have some sort of disability according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and problem with the accelerating shift toward at-home testing that used to be done in doctors' offices.

OPENING OPPORTUNITIES

The article discusses the significance of telework for workers with disabilities. Topics discussed include increased open-mindedness about granting part-time or full-time telework as a reasonable accommodation, reasonable accommodations under the Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and work environment or hiring process to create equality for someone with a disability.

Prospects for employment of persons with disabilities in the post-covid-19 era in developing countries

The global environment has been hit with a pandemic of cataclysmic proportion. The COVID19 has created havoc on all countries and has claimed the lives of over 3 million individuals and affected over 100 million persons at the time of writing this paper. Countries have been forced to implement measures to safeguard their population. Included in these measures is work from home strategies. The crisis, whilst catastrophic in nature;has created some opportunities for groups such as persons with disabilities through remote employment. The author examines through a case study, the prospects for employment of persons with disabilities using the concept of remote employment. The Business Process Outsourcing sector is the focus of study. The fundamental question to answer in the study is to what extent can the Business Process Outsourcing sector employ more persons with disabilities in the Post-COVID19 era? The article is completed with some recommendations.Points of interestThe COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges and opportunities for persons with disabilities.This article is about the possibilities of working from home by persons with disabilities in the after COVID-19 environment through the use of new technologies.The article is prepared by looking at a fast growing employment sector which showed that there is a big growth in working from home and that the chances are great for the employment of persons with disabilities through this means, with the aid of new technologies.Most of the public facilities across poor and middle-income countries are unfriendly to persons with disabilities and making some of these individuals work from their homes is a very good means of employing some of them in the labour market.This research is therefore important in showing how poor and middle-income countries can add to the employment of persons with disabilities by working from home with the use of new technologies and some recommendations are made on how to achieve this objective.

United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy: A framework to accelerate transformative change for persons with disabilities in the peace and security pillar

The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy establishes the first-ever framework for the United Nations system to advance disability inclusion across all pillars of the Organization's work, including the peace and security pillar, and to measure the progress made across the system. Evidence reported since the launch of the Strategy in 2019 demonstrates that the Strategy has provided a clear impetus among United Nations entities and peace operations working in the sector to address the rights of persons with disabilities, who are among the most marginalized in any crisis-affected community. However, the evidence also reveals that while humanitarian entities have made progress since the launch of the Strategy, disability inclusion remains an emerging area of work for peace operations in the field. The article argues that the Strategy's accountability framework has provided a much-needed blueprint and ability to monitor progress across the system, yet far more needs to be done to ensure that the United Nations system is equipped to respond to complex situations and reach the furthest behind first.

The relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression, anxiety and stress in persons with disabilities: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and the depression, anxiety and stress in persons with disabilities. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the data were collected using an online survey from 178 persons with disabilities using the Personal Information Form, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 34.08 ± 11.8 years. The disability types that participants had were related to vision (47.2 %), hearing (25.8 %), mobility (24.7 %), cognitive (8.4 %), and chronic disease (10.1 %). It has been determined that 73.6 % of the participants stated that their access to healthcare services was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean DASS-21 was 10.24 ± 8.25 and the mean FCV-19S was 17.71 ± 5.05. A positive correlation was found between DASS-21 and FCV-19S. CONCLUSION: The pandemic has created a need to provide appropriate interventions to improve the psychosocial health of persons with disabilities.

Avoiding isolation: Physical activity for persons with disabilities and Covid-19

It was aimed in this article to draw attention to the following issues: the importance of issuing guidelines on what countries can or should do in order for individuals with disabilities to maintain their daily exercises or physical activity routines, and informing the public about it;the importance of considering the needs of a person with disabilities in emergency preparedness and response plans of the countries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic;the importance of the dissemination of public health messages in plain language and accessible formats through all mass media channels;the importance of providing psychosocial support to persons with disabilities and their families;and, the importance of strengthening support networks for persons with disabilities. In the research, the literature on Covid-19 and physical activity in disabilities published in 2020 was scanned via Pubmed and Google Scholar, and the study was designed as a review. Analysis of the related literature showed that it is important to develop a habit of performing regular physical activity in disabilities and to continue these activities especially during the pandemic period. In this review, persons with disabilities should be informed about what they can or should do to maintain their daily exercise or physical activity routines.

Interview with Gerard Quinn

The Special Rapporteur position was created in the 1990s. I think the timing was significant, as it coincided with the enactment of the American Disabilities Act (ADA), which had a huge ripple effect around the world. It also coincided with a special resolution of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on equal opportunities for persons with disabilities, which was a non-binding resolution. The Special Rapporteur position was set up around that time to answer to the Commission for Social Development, and the first mandate holder was Swedish: Mr Bengt Lindqvist.1 The fact that the Special Rapporteur was answerable to the Commission for Social Development somehow tells a lot, as it means it was not really anchored on the human rights side of the house, which only came later once the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)2 was adopted in 2006. As such, the Special Rapporteur position switched from the Commission for Social Development to the Human Rights Council. The first person appointed to the new mandate started in 2014, Mrs Catalina Devandas Aguilar3 (2014-2020). I am the second person appointed and I started in 2020, regrettably when COVID began. © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the ICRC.