The recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the accompanying countrywide lockdowns in South Africa (SA) have had a tremendous impact on the lives of people with disabilities, in particular women with disabilities. During times of crisis, people with disabilities are hardest hit. Research starts to reveal that people with disabilities are more vulnerable to the direct impacts of disaster and government-led crisis management responses such as hard lockdowns, social distancing, restrictions on gatherings, and health and safety regulations. While done with the best intentions, these efforts do not always consider the far-reaching impacts they may have on people with disabilities. In addition, the impact of disaster and its management varies for different disability types and between women and men with disabilities. More sensitive topics such as sexual and reproductive health and exposure to violence may also be forgotten in a crisis, while vulnerability might change.
Accurate data are critical to understand the challenges of people with disabilities in all their diversities and how to include them under crisis. Research conducted during COVID-19 has been challenging but provides invaluable insights. In our third webinar of the Forgotten Agenda study, we will present new emerging evidence from South Africa and discuss: What does research tell us about the experience of people with disabilities under the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa?
Languages: English and South African Sign Language
Speaker titles and affiliations:
Dr Praveena Sukhraj-Ely
Chief Director – Governance and Compliance – RPD Branch
Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Dr Tim GB Hart
Chief Research Specialist – Human Sciences Research Council
Dr Jill Hanass-Hancock
Senior Specialist Scientist – South African Medical Research Council
Ayanda Nzuza
SAMRC
Agenda
Chair: Ayanda Nzuza (SAMRC)
- Welcome (5 mins) Ayanda Nzuza
- Introduction to speaker (2.5 mins)
Ayanda Nzuza - Keynote (5 mins)
Dr Praveena Sukhraj-Ely (DWYPD) Disability Inclusive Policy Development - Introduction to speaker (2.5 min)
Ayanda Nzuza - Presentation (20 mins)
Dr Tim Hart (HSRC) – How did South Africans with disabilities experience COVID-19? Results of an online survey - Introduction to speaker (2.5 min)
Ayanda Nzuza - Presentation (20 mins)
Dr Jill Hanass-Hancock – Sexual and reproductive health and rights of young women with and without disabilities under crisis - Q&A for presentation (20 mins)
Ayanda Nzuza - Research uptake examples
ARRK (5 mins)
NDoH (5 mins) - Closure (5 mins) Ayanda Nzuza
The event will be screened under the SAMRC website. Please send your questions for the panel before the 25th of March to Bradley Carpenter ([email protected]).
