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text messaging and video conferencing for
the delivery of health care for people with CONVERT PUBLIC
disability. This may be for their general health, MATERIALS INTO “EASY
and include rehabilitation needs and, where
appropriate, COVID-19 related needs. READ” FORMAT SO THAT
THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE FOR
7. Reduce potential exposure to COVID-19
during provision of disability services: PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITY OR
To provide training, and rapidly up-skill
the disability care workforce regarding COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
infection control.
To ensure the disability caregivers and in common parlance, a new normal. The new
service providers have access to personal normal for general public is the concept of
protective equipment including masks, social distancing and use of masks at all times.
gloves and hand sanitizers; consider For HCWs, the new normal is use of PPEs,
increasing orders of these products. sterilization/disinfection of all paraphernalia
and telemedicine. Norms and guidelines are
To deliver appropriate disability services updated every day and it is the responsibility
through home-based consultation or through
of the HCW to keep themselves abreast.
similar platforms as used in telehealth.
Last but not the least, maintaining a state of
8. Provide sufficient support for people with heightened vigil on a constant basis and strict
disability who have complex needs: compliance with the rules will only ensure that
the disruption due to the pandemic is mitigated,
To identify people with disability with more
and health services resume to its full functioning
complex needs, and work with them, their
at the earliest While COVID 19 is impacting the
families, and community support agencies,
entire population, persons with disabilities are
to identify contingencies for when the
more vulnerable to the disease due to their
number of caregivers is limited or there are
physical, sensory and cognitive limitations, thus
none available at times and also identify
additional protective measures must be taken.
the potential for increased violence, abuse
and neglect against people with disability REFERENCES:
because of social isolation and disruption to
1. WHO-World Health Organization Coronavirus Disease
daily routines. (COVID-19) Situation Report-116.2020. Available
from: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/
9. Actions for the community: Basic novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
protection measures to be adopted by 2. VISION2020: The Right to Sight India. Vision
the general public: Centre Manual [Internet]. 2011. Available from:
www.vision2020india.org
The public needs to follow the guidance
3. www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-
prepared by WHO on basic protection coronavirus-2019
measures against COVID-19. 4. www.who.int/health-topics/disability
The Resident Welfare Associations should 5. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-
coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
be sensitised about the need of persons
6. www.who.int/ncds www.who.int/mental_health
with disabilities so as to allow entry of
maid, caregiver and other support providers 7. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/
mental-health-considerations pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_2
to their residence after following due
8. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/
sanitising procedure. coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-forcovid19
pdf?sfvrsn=359a81e7_6
The COVID-19 pandemic is going to stay
9. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/
for some time now and it is imperative that all
coronaviruse/who-rights-roles-respon-hwcovid-19.
HCWs learn to live with the virus. This is called, pdf?sfvrsn=bcabd401_0
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