Fifteen percent of the global population has a disability – that’s one in seven people. People with disabilities include ‘people with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’. Of these:
- Globally, more than a third of people older than 60 have a disability and are at greater risk from COVID-19.
- An estimated 110-190 million adults have significant difficulties in functioning and often will rely on professional or informal caregivers.
Jane Wilbur explains why we should be including people with disabilities and older adults in the COVID-19 response, and provides guidance for programming.
