ON PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND COVID-19

New York, 6 May 2020
The COVID-19 crisis is affecting every aspect of our societies.

​Today, I am highlighting how the pandemic is affecting the world’s 1 billion people with disabilities.

Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities are less likely to access education, healthcare and income opportunities or participate in the community.The pandemic is intensifying these inequalities — and producing new threats.

Persons with disabilities are among the hardest hit in this crisis in terms of fatalities.

We must guarantee the equal rights of people with disabilities to access healthcare and lifesaving procedures during the pandemic.

I urge governments to place people with disabilities at the center of COVID-19 response and recovery efforts and to consult and engage them.

When we secure the rights of people with disabilities, we are investing in our common future.