COVID-19 disproportionately impacts access to basic needs among households with disabled members

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Disability Studies

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequities for disabled individuals, particularly those in marginalized communities.
• Pre-existing barriers denied disabled people access to essential resources and opportunities for health equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of COVID-19 on basic needs access in households with and without disabled adults.
• To identify specific challenges faced by disabled individuals regarding essential services during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• An online survey assessed pandemic impacts on basic needs access in San Diego County households.
• Disability was measured using the Global Activities Limitations Indicator.
• Multivariable linear regression analyzed the association between household disability and basic needs access, adjusting for socioeconomic factors.

Main Results:

• 41% of surveyed households reported at least one disabled member.
• Households with disabled members were significantly more likely to face challenges accessing food, housing, healthcare, transportation, medication, and income (p < 0.05).
• Difficulty accessing basic needs correlated with household income and parent gender.

Conclusions:

• Households with disabled members experienced significantly greater difficulty accessing basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This highlights the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on disabled individuals, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
• Meeting the basic needs of disabled people is essential for improving COVID-19 outcomes and advancing health equity.