One in two (53 per cent) disabled people say they are yet to recover from their experience at the height of the pandemic, according to a new poll by the national disability charity, Sense, published ahead of the third anniversary of the first national lockdown on Thursday 23 March.
Disabled people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. They make up almost 60 per cent of those who have died from Covid, and cuts to services contributed to isolation and loneliness levels spiralling. At the height of the pandemic, three in five (61 per cent) disabled people described themselves as chronically lonely (i.e. feeling lonely often or always). Today’s poll, however, shows that while the figure has reduced, it remains worryingly high, with half (50 per cent) currently describing themselves as lonely always or often.
More than two thousand disabled people were surveyed, with the findings revealing that fears around Covid and frustrations at a lack of support, have not gone away. Two in five (40 per cent) disabled people said they are still worried about catching Covid, and over half (56 per cent) feel their needs have been largely overlooked by the government.
Less than a third (28 per cent) of disabled said they were confident that the government will be better prepared to support them in the event of a future health emergency.
Head of Policy at Sense, Sarah White, said: “Disabled people make up almost 60 per cent of those who died of Covid, and millions of disabled people experienced hardship and isolation during the pandemic.
As we approach the eve of the third anniversary of the first national lockdown, disabled people tell us they have felt unsupported, and their needs overlooked, during the pandemic.
Many remain worried about catching Covid, while loneliness levels, which spiralled during the height of the pandemic, remain high, raising huge concerns around mental health.
The upcoming public inquiry is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes that have happened during the pandemic and ensure that never again are disabled people treated as second class citizens. We must seize it.”
The Covid-19 inquiry will begin hearing evidence on June 13.
Emma Blackmore, 33, from Bristol, was born with congenital rubella syndrome and has multiple disabilities, including visual and hearing impairment. Emma remains fearful and anxious about Covid and says she has lost her confidence and become more isolated.
Emma said: “It's difficult to see others move on from the pandemic when, as a clinically vulnerable person, the threat of Covid remains all too real.
"I don’t go out as much as I used to. Most of our shopping and stuff is done online and I tend to communicate with my friends online a lot more now as well. This isn’t easy because I am hard of hearing and I’m also visually impaired, but I won’t go out and see my friends generally because I’m worried about it and my anxiety is really bad. I do get a bit isolated, and it gets me low because I want to do things but I feel like my body stops me with anxiety attacks and generally feeling really low.”
Emma feels disabled people have been let down during the pandemic and expresses anger at reports the Government didn’t follow their own laws.
Emma continues: “Those rules were put in place legally by the Government and then it came to light that they were breaking their own rules and having fun when the rest of us weren’t able to do that in our own lives.
"It wasn’t just the fact that we couldn’t go down the pub or go bowling, it was the fact that our lives depended on us staying at home.
"I genuinely feel like our lives are not as valued as other people’s. They listen but they don’t truly hear what we’re saying, and they don’t understand.”
