Impact of COVID-19: Considerations for individuals with developmental disabilities across major life domains

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The impact of COVID-19 and other health pandemics disproportionately affects individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) across a multitude of life domains including health, work, and education. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review some of the factors contributing to the unique impact of pandemics on individuals with DD. Not only are individuals with DD at a heightened risk of contracting a pandemic illness but are also more likely to receive inequitable care and thus the potential to experience more fatal outcomes if contracted. Challenges in receiving equitable services in times of a global crisis are observed in business and educational settings, as well. Many individuals with DD require individualized supports to meet learning and vocational needs. If the quality and continuity of those services are disrupted, individuals with DD risk termination from jobs or slowed progress in meeting educational goals. CONCLUSION: Strategies for addressing concerns related to the impact of a pandemic on different life domains for individuals with DD are discussed.

Social Cognitive Career Theory Predictors of Goal Persistence in African American College Students With Disabilities

“…Rehabilitation counselors must cooperate with specialists in offices of disability services and diversity, equity, and inclusion offices on college and university campuses to provide academic support services such as time management, study skills, tutorials, remedial, and self-advocacy training for African American students with disabilities (Bank & Dohy, 2019). It may also be necessary to provide African American students with disabilities with assistive technology devices and high speed internet access to help them bridge the well-documented technology gap that exists between European Americans and people from racial-ethnic minority backgrounds, a gap that has widened in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (Sheppard-Jones et al, 2021). In addition, helping students obtain job shadowing experiences and find paid internships in business organizations and government agencies to gain work experience, build a good resume, develop effective job seeking and interviewing skills using impression management tactics, and develop workplace socialization skills will increase their motivation and efficacy to complete their college degrees and find and obtain entry-level professional jobs.…”

Effects of VHA Policy Directive 1163 on Acceptance and Employment Rates for Veterans with Substance Use Disorders Referred to VHA Vocational Rehabilitation

“…The current study was unable to determine if this was also a factor as to whether Veterans were not accepted into the program (eg, perhaps they disclosed they were not interested in pursuing employment and wanted to be in the TW program that provides tax-free payments). Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 may explain disparities in employment rates at closure during the post-implementation phase of Policy Directive 1163, as a little over 1 year the COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of the United States, and Vocational Rehabilitation service delivery models in the public sector [25][26][27][28][29][30] and the implementation of telemedicine (VA Video Connect) occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. [31][32][33]…”

School and Employment-Related Barriers for Youth and Young Adults with and without a Disability during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Greater Toronto Area

“…The researchers took notes during and shortly following the interview. Our interview guide (Supplementary File S1) was informed by the recent literature on schoolwork transitions [37] and employment, volunteering, and schooling during pandemics and similar disruptive events [12,19,20,[38][39][40][41]. Questions were asked about school and employment status, career plans before the pandemic, and how COVID-19 affected them, including psychosocial issues (see Supplemental File).…”