COVID-19 impact on adults with disabilities: A lifespan analysis

The Covid pandemic has indicated that social structures need to be more equitable, inclusive, resilient, and strengthened to better support adults across disability and age status. The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of community needs at the intersection of disability, age, and racial equity during the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 441 individuals were surveyed cross-sectionally using the Epidemic - Pandemic Impacts Inventory Geriatric Adaptation (EPII- G). The mean age of the sample was 58.22 years old (range 19-94 years of age); moreover, a little over half of the sample (n = 241, 54.64%) was below the age of 62 and 69.29% of these reported disability, while the rest (n = 200, 45.35%) was over the age of 62 and 65.00% of these reported disability. The study's findings indicated significant (p <.05) psychosocial consequences of the Covid pandemic both for disability groups and younger adults. Differences were identified for mental health, social health, and access issues. The social structural changes that occurred during Covid created a larger effect on young and disabled adults, suggesting that the systems that these groups relied on were challenged during Covid.