Abstract
The ongoing outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ensuing preventative lock-down and shelter-in-place policies enacted around the world have caused unanticipated disruptions in the delivery of educational content and accessibility services to children, youth and adults with disabilities. The rapid move to online and remote learning, socialization, and therapeutic activities have surfaced some of the inadequacies of existing systems and infrastructures as well as opportunities for creating novel and accessible solutions. We conducted semi-structured remote interviews with nine special education teachers, therapists, community advocates, and individuals with disabilities to capture their perspectives on delivering services and supporting children and adults with disabilities and their families during the pandemic. Participants shared reflections on their experience and those who they serve during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges and insights that this experience surfaced. Findings include a need to better support families in facilitating remote learning experiences for their children, developing tactile modes of engagement to complement online interactions, and the impact of a lack of contingency plans specifically to support people with disabilities and their families during crizes. The participants also described the lack of clarity about the future as one of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic. We conclude with a discussion of these findings and directions for future research.
Highlights
The unprecedented scale and speed of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unique in that the nature of the threat led to government responses mandating social distancing and closure of many institutions and establishments, such as schools, community centers, and businesses deemed nonessential over a prolonged period
Our findings provide a troubling picture of the impact of the COVID-19 crizes and its aftermath on special education and accessibility
Ensuring continued learning in the face of inequity: In line with concerns reported in the news and in previous research (Dailey and Starbird, 2014; States News Service, 2020), our findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic and measures instated in response to it, amplified existing social inequities
Summary
The unprecedented scale and speed of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unique in that the nature of the threat led to government responses mandating social distancing and closure of many institutions and establishments, such as schools, community centers, and businesses deemed nonessential over a prolonged period. In a more recent report, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) pointed out that during the COVID-19 crizes, more time and resources are needed for students with disabilities to participate in learning activities, including access to digital devices, reliable Internet connectivity, and especially designed material and support (States News Service, 2020). These elements may add to the cost of special education for families with children with disabilities during COVID-19. The article pointed out that other factors such as not having access to schoolprovided meals and social interaction with classmates may further negatively impact students with disabilities
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