Highlights
LGUs can use these guidelines as reference to providing help to PWDs.
Overview
1. People with disabilities must receive information in a way that is accessible for them. People should get information about:
• How to protect ourselves from being infected
• What plans there are for stopping people meeting in public
• What services are in place to help people
2. For some people with disabilities, governments must put extra measures in place to keep them safe. For example, extra testing and support for people with disabilities who are more likely to be infected because of respiratory (breathing) problems or other health problems.
3. Government workers and people who are giving services, like health care workers, must be trained on the rights of people with disabilities and how to support to people with disabilities
4. All plans must be inclusive of women with disabilities. All plans must be accessible to women with disabilities
5. People with disabilities must not be placed in institutions. People with disabilities must not be abandoned. This means left behind or alone. Institutionalization or abandonment is not acceptable in any situation.
6. During a quarantine a government must make sure that support services, personal assistance, physical accessibility assistance and communication assistance are all still available for people with disabilities.
7. When governments are putting these community quarantine plans in place they must consider people with a disability. For example, governments must make sure people with disabilities are still able to get the food they need or the medicines they need.
8. People with disabilities who have the disease COVID19 and need health services may face discrimination. People with disabilities must get equal treatment as other people. People with disabilities should not be prevented from getting help just because they have a disability.
9. The PDAO or Organizations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) can and should work to raise awareness of people with disabilities and their families. For example, PDAOs can help to prepare information on COVID19 in accessible formats in local languages; or organize training on inclusion and disability for health service workers
10. The PDAO or Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) can and should speak up and advocate for governments to respond to the COVID19 crisis in an inclusive way. For example, PDAOs can contact authorities like the health system, or the national media to share information about how the pandemic may impact people with disabilities and how services can support people with disabilities.