The study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Oxford University and Public Health England found risks were particularly high for those with profound learning disabilities linked to Down’s syndrome and cerebral palsy. Among Covid patients with Down’s syndrome, for example, the risk of dying from the infection was 36 times higher than in the general population.
Many people with disability have a higher risk of developing severe illnesses from COVID-19. Ensuring high vaccination rates among residential disability workers will help protect people with disability. In light of this, AHHPC recommends National Cabinet strongly encourage all disability support workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect their own health and the health of the people for whom they are caring
The peak body for disability services says national cabinet’s decision not to mandate vaccines for people working in the sector at this time is “hugely disappointing”.
States and territories (bar Victoria) today committed to introducing public health orders to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination for aged care workers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said following the latest National Cabinet meeting. However, there was no recommendation for a vaccination mandate for disability care workers, although they are “strongly recommended” to be vaccinated, he said.
These resources have been produced to help people with disability and low English literacy understand more about coronavirus vaccinations. The resources include a social script, visual schedule, Easy English document and Key Word Sign video.
The study provides important insights into the challenges experienced by staff working in Victorian disability residential settings in the second wave of Victoria’s COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the findings from a national on-line survey of 357 disability support workers (DSWs) conducted between May and June 2020.
Disability charities are stepping up to play a part in Australia’s vaccine rollout, opening hubs across the country to help people with disability and their support staff get vaccinated.
Associate Professor Michelle Villeneuve from the Centre for Disability Research and Policy at the University of Sydney, who leads Australian research on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, has compiled the Issues Paper coming out of the Disability and Disaster Resilience Forum that DARU hosted in August last year. In this session, Michelle presents an overview of the consolidated issues and what actions need to be taken by individuals and community organisations, and supported at all levels of government.
Disability representative organisation People with Disability Australia has found people with disability are struggling to work out if they are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and are getting extremely inconsistent access to vaccination appointments.
Three months into the vaccine rollout and fewer than 1,000 residents in disability support homes have been protected against COVID-19. The vaccination rate of less than five per cent has been branded an abject failure by the Disability Royal Commission.
Guest: Bill Shorten, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the NDIS
I spoke not in my capacity as President of People with Disability Australia, nor as a board member on any of the other boards that I sit on. I spoke as a disabled woman and a carer who, like many of us, has spent a lifetime battling disability and mainstream services and systems.
Lead author Anne Kavanagh from the University of Melbourne said the survey found of those undecided, 68 per cent reported there was inadequate data about the safety of the vaccine and 59 per cent were worried about possible side effects.
Almost three months into the COVID-19 vaccination program the federal government is still working out the best way to immunise people with disabilities despite their inclusion in the first two phases of the vaccine rollout.
Any Australian over the age of 50 will be able to get a COVID vaccine from May 3, but many vulnerable Australians are frustrated that they are still yet to be vaccinated despite being in the priority group.
COVID-19 has done many things to people with disabilities. Along with visiting higher rates of death and suffering on us, as well as just plain fear, it has also highlighted some of our unique strengths. One of them is our ability to face and navigate difficult dilemmas few others face quite the way we do. But strengths usually come with a cost.