Acknowledging the Disabled in the Covid-19 Response: A Study on the Psychological Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic Upon Persons with Disabilities in Sri Lanka

This study intends to investigate the psychological impact of the crippling consequences caused by the Covid-19 pandemic upon people with disabilities in Sri Lanka. The global spread of the Covid-19 pandemic forced people to renegotiate their traditional ways of living to match the demands of the health authorities to contain its spread. Such changes plunged almost all the societies into chaos, the impact of which was heavily felt by people with disabilities, one of the most vulnerable social groups. Studies on the experiences of people with disabilities in Sri Lanka have primarily focused on its socio-economic impact, creating a lacuna in research that explores its psychological impact. Six semi-structured interviews have been carried out with persons with disabilities along with a review of legislations/policy documents that relate to the rights of the target group to gather data for this study, which have been analysed through a theoretical framework that draws on Mike Oliver’s social model of disability, Martha A. Fineman’s vulnerability theory and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality.
It examines the impact of prolonged lockdowns, use of online platforms, false rumors regarding health risks and the impact of empathy upon self-worth to understand the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic upon the disabled, thereby addressing the said research gap. It argues for the importance of a rights-based policy framework that integrates disability and other sectors, improving communicational and technical skills and taking measures to prepare these individuals to face crisis situations in helping them to assimilate to these new realities.