COVID-19 survey on persons with disabilities: enabling better responses to future crises

Abstract

In early May 2020, I proposed that the HSRC and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities conduct a study that looked specifically at the challenges encountered by persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the work arising from COVID-19 surveys in South Africa have largely ignored this group or exclusively focused on support organisations and carers, or specific groups and disability types. Two national surveys 'one led by Stellenbosch University (August 2020) and the other by the Ministry of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (Jan 2021)' have since attempted to fill this gap in understanding. However, there is a need for research that reaches a larger and more representative sample of this population in SA.