Blog Post

This blog article used geographical data to identify areas where the number of available hospital beds might outpace the number of people requiring critical care due to COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, there were concerns about rationing care when faced with a shortage of intensive care hospital beds or ventilators, and concerns that people with disabilities might be denied treatment over people without disabilities. The article includes discussion of rationing care and equitable access.

This blog article compared rates of institutionalized populations across rural and urban counties, finding much higher rates of institutionalization of people with disabilities in rural counties. Research has shown that COVID infection rates were extremely high in institutional setting such as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and group homes.

This blog article used geographical data to highlight the distribution of skilled nursing facilities across the use and understand the risk for COVID exposure and death within these settings, particularly in rural communities. The report finds that skilled nursing facilities benefit from community partner support to adopt CDC and local health department recommendations, practices, and resources (e.g., funding and resources being organized across federal agencies) using a whole community approach in local response and recovery efforts, particularly in rural communities.

Blog post, written by a young adult with mental health conditions, discusses how the pandemic has affected the healthcare system and how this has affected the treatment of their medical and mental health conditions.

The article describes how to prepare in advance for someone with complex communication needs, how to support understanding of COVID-19 for those who may have difficulty understanding complex communication, ways to support expressive communications for someone who cannot rely on speech, and suggestions for healthcare workers providing care for someone who cannot communicate.

This center collects and publishes stories from parents with disabilities about their experiences during the pandemic, along with general parenting stories. 

A blog post from staff of the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center with definitions of a pandemic, historical overview of previous pandemics, CDC guidelines, specifics for people with disabilities, precautions to take, and information on COVID-19 and the ADA.

A blog post from staff of the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center with suggestions for indoor activities from making art to learning about civil rights.

A blog post from staff of the Rocky Mountain ADA Regional Center explaining the benefits of social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A blog post describing the #COVIDDisParenting twitter chat from March 2020 where parents with disabilities shared their helpful strategies for staying healthy, active, and engaged; unique concerns and experiences; preparedness and unmet needs; and more from the National Research Center on Parents with Disabilities and their Families.