Inclusion ScotlandInclusion ScotlandInclusion ScotlandInclusion Scotland
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Mission
    • Our Board
    • Our Funders
    • Vacancies
  • What We Do
    • Employability and Civic Participation
    • Policy Work
    • People-Led Policy
    • Research
  • Resources
    • Employment
    • Human Rights
    • Poverty and Social Security
    • Reports
    • News
  • Become a Partner
  • Contact
NextPrevious

Covid-19 Evidence Survey

By Lynne Wham | News, Policy and Parliament | Comments are Closed | 7 April, 2020 | 1

The Covid-19 pandemic is impacting on all areas of our lives. In just a few weeks, life as we knew it has changed beyond recognition. There has never been a more important time for disabled people to have a voice.

Disabled people are not just at risk from the virus. We’re at risk from the actions of public bodies and others who don’t understand who we are, what we need or what will work. Why? Because they haven’t asked us. Not only will this mean that thousands of us don’t get what we urgently need but getting it wrong costs providers valuable time and money. Yet, as disabled people, we’re well used to finding creative ways to do things because the usual ways don’t work for us.We want policy and decision-makers in Scotland to know what is really happening to disabled people on the ground, what changes are needed and to recognise disabled people are experts in our own lives. Involving us, which includes taking into account the lived experience set out in this report, is crucial to making the right decisions

We created a survey to gather evidence of what disabled people are experiencing during Covid-19. Thanks you to the 822 people who responded! Our initial findings are now available.

Our survey quickly showed that the Covid-19 crisis is having a significant impact on the mental health of disabled people and their carers.  Around 15% of all respondents told us explicitly that their mental health has been negatively affected by the current crisis. Many hundreds of others told us about the stress and anxiety that they are experiencing at this time due to a number of issues.

Disabled people and their carers are under significant pressure because:

  • Social care support has been stopped or reduced: Almost half of people responding on this issue told us that said that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the social care support they get, formal and informal. Around 30% of respondents told us their support had either stopped completely or had been reduced.
  • People have new or increased caring responsibilities: Around 40% of people who responded to this question are experiencing challenges with caring for children/family members since the start of the pandemic.
  • Disabled people are struggling to get access to the food and medicine they need: Around two thirds of those responding to this question (64%) said that the crisis has had an impact on getting the food or medicine that they need for themselves or the person they care for.
  • People are being asked to sign Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) notices: Though we didn’t ask a specific question about DNR, 4 respondents told us that they or someone they know had been asked to sign DNR notices or informed that they would not be ventilated should they contract Covid-19.
  • People are concerned that they will lose their job: Around one in ten respondents to this question (11%) were concerned that they could lose their job as a result of the pandemic.
  • Social distancing and isolation is proving extremely challenging: Disabled people with and without pre-existing mental health conditions are finding everyday life under lock-down extremely stressful. Significant numbers of disabled people (15) with existing mental health problems told us that they are feeling suicidal at this time.

decorative graphic based on the front cover of the reportDownload the initial findings from our survey:

Initial Findings of Inclusion Scotland’s Covid-19 Survey (PDF)

Initial Findings of Inclusion Scotland’s Covid-19 Survey (Word doc)

To speak to someone about the Initial Findings of our evidence survey please email rebecca@inclusionscotland.org or contact 0131 370 6700 and leave a message, we will get back to you.

You can continue to tell us about your experiences by getting involved in our social media campaign #OurVoicesCovid19
Read our Statement on our Core Asks of Scotland’s policy and decision-makers, service providers, employers, retailers, academics, funders and to our broadcasters and wider society to involve and support disabled people during Covid-19.
Covid-19 and disabled people – a statement by Inclusion Scotland (PDF)
Covid-19 and disabled people – a statement by Inclusion Scotland (Word Doc)
No tags.
Avatar

Lynne Wham

More posts by Lynne Wham

Related Posts

  • SILC’s Letter to the Human Rights Taskforce on UNCRPD General Comment 7

    By Lynne Wham | Comments are Closed

    Disabled people know best what matters and what needs to change.  Our Disabled People’s Organisations, like Inclusion Scotland and the members of the Scottish Independent Living Coalition (SILC) are organisations of, not for, disabled people… Continue Reading SILC’s Letter to the Human Rights Taskforce on UNCRPD General Comment 7

  • inclusion

    Inclusion Scotland is recruiting a new Chief Executive Officer

    By Lynne Wham | Comments are Closed

    Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Scotland Reports to: Board of trustees Salary: £53,635 per annum starting salary. Pension: 8 % employer contribution Hours: 35 hours a week (full-time) Annual Holiday: 35 days, including 10 days for… Continue Reading Inclusion Scotland is recruiting a new Chief Executive Officer

  • Call for urgent radical action to transform Scotland’s social care support system

    By Lynne Wham | Comments are Closed

    Disabled people’s organisations and carers’ organisations have come together to call on Scottish Government to take urgent, radical action to create a social care support system worthy of the name. In an open letter to… Continue Reading Call for urgent radical action to transform Scotland’s social care support system

  • Helping to create a new Scottish Social Security Benefit System through lived experience.

    By Naomi Waite | Comments are Closed

    “For anyone thinking of applying for this internship in the future, my advice would be don’t be hesitant, as it is a great opportunity for disabled people.” By Laura  Murdanaigum Before my internship I was… Continue Reading Helping to create a new Scottish Social Security Benefit System through lived experience.

  • Human Resources Intern Experience Blog with Skills Development Scotland

    By Naomi Waite | Comments are Closed

    “I would strongly recommend that any disabled person seeking employment apply for an opportunity on this programme as it really helps to build confidence and has such a diverse range of internships. The programme empowers… Continue Reading Human Resources Intern Experience Blog with Skills Development Scotland

  • Services For Who?

    By Lynne Wham | Comments are Closed

    Our new report, ‘Services for who?’, is the culmination of a 2 year DRILL funded research project which explored the experiences of disabled people with other characteristics when accessing services. We spoke to disabled people and service… Continue Reading Services For Who?

  • Blue background with white writing saying 'What is it like to be a disabled person at work?''. An orange box is underneath with white writing saying 'Add your experience using #myworkstory' an Inclusion Scotland logo is at the bottom of the page which has outlines of disabled people in different colour

    #myworkstory campaign

    By admin | Comments are Closed

    What is the #myworkstory campaign? On Friday 1 December 2017, Independent Living in Scotland, part of Inclusion Scotland, is launched #myworkstory, a social media campaign to encourage disabled people to get talking about being themselves at… Continue Reading #myworkstory campaign

  • Scottish Government responds to welcome the call to action from the Social Renewal Advisory Board

    By admin | Comments are Closed

    Scottish Government responds to welcome the call to action from the Social Renewal Advisory Board Today the Scottish Government published its initial response to the Social Renewal Advisory Board’s Report “If not now, when?”. Welcoming… Continue Reading Scottish Government responds to welcome the call to action from the Social Renewal Advisory Board

  • Front cover of Disabled people's views on the draft Adult Disability Payment Regulations

    Disabled People’s view of the draft Adult Disability Payment Regulations

    By admin | Comments are Closed

    In February 2021 Inclusion Scotland ran a survey to ask disabled people their views on key aspects of the Adult Disability Payment draft regulations. This report sets out what disabled people told us and our… Continue Reading Disabled People’s view of the draft Adult Disability Payment Regulations

  • Our Human Rights – call to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRPD) into Scots law 

    By admin | Comments are Closed

    Disabled People, their organisations and their supporters have spoken.  The time to incorporate the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People into Scots domestic law is now. The recent accumulative impacts of Brexit and COVID-19 have… Continue Reading Our Human Rights – call to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRPD) into Scots law 

  • Decorative image. "Factsheet: Employment and Disabled People in the Scottish Government;s 2020-2021 Programme for Government"

    Factsheet: on Employment and Disabled People in the Scottish Government’s 2020-2021 Programme for Government

    By Lynne Wham | Comments are Closed

    Factsheet: Programme for Government 2020-2021 – Employment Date: September 2020 This factsheet covers what the Scottish Government’s 2020-2021 Programme for Government sets out to do on Employment and how this relates to disabled people. Download… Continue Reading Factsheet: on Employment and Disabled People in the Scottish Government’s 2020-2021 Programme for Government

NextPrevious

Navigation

Home
Who We Are
What We Do
Resources
Become a Member
Contact

Address

22-24 Earl Grey St
Edinburgh
EH3 9BN

Contact details

info@inclusionscotland.org

0131 370 6700

Social media

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
© 2018 Inclusion Scotland | All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Resources
  • News
  • Become a Partner
  • Contact
Inclusion Scotland