Table 3 Disability inclusiveness of government responses to COVID-19

Relevant and accessible information

• Information directly related to disabled people provided¹⁶.

• Information line via video-call with sign-language interpretation, and through a dedicated online channel^16,17.

• Published recommendations specifically for disabled people¹⁸.

• Simultaneous sign language interpretation provided through specific software (VLIBRAS)³⁸.

• Information available in high contrast in all governmental webpages.

• Published recommendations specifically for disabled people^{32, 34.}

• Published recommendations specifically for indigenous people²⁴.

• Video- calls, with sign language interpretation, available through a website⁵¹.

• Information available in easy-read⁴⁹.

• Published recommendations specifically for disabled people⁵⁰.

• All information, provided by any means, must be in accessible formats⁵⁸.

Access to healthcare

• All services of the Programa Federal Incluir Salud are available online, including day centres and rehabilitation^6,10,12,19.

• Telemedicine available for people with COVID-19 related symptoms²⁵.

• All general health appointments are suspended, but variations exist across states²⁵.

• The GES programme (aimed at people diagnosed with one of currently 85 conditions with the objective of reducing inequalities in healthcare access) was suspended between March 30 and April 30⁵⁴.

• Establishment of a community network to identify severely disabled people in the community, monitor their wellbeing, and offer support^64,65.

• Diagnostic services for suspected cases and treatment services are provided free of charge⁶³.

• Home visits to vulnerable people over 65 years of age⁶⁰.

Access to education

• All services of the Programa Federal Incluir Salud are available online, including all levels of special education. If students do not have access to the internet, they are sent hard copies of educational material¹⁰.

• Free access to online educational platforms (no data charges)⁴.

• Reduction of educational support provision^6,22.

• Mainstream education: The national program ‘Seguimos educando’ does not make specific reference to disabled students⁵.

• National authorisation, exceptionally, allows the switch from face-to-face to digital classes in higher education. No specific reference to disabled students²⁶.

• In each state, measures to offer educational alternatives and provide internet access to students from public schools (primary and secondary education is the responsibility of states and municipalities).

• Distribution of educational materials for disabled students³².

• Distribution of food parcels to parents or guardians of state primary school students²⁷.

• Extra financial support given to facilitate reasonable adjustments, like sign language interpretation. These are not available to students who have an open litigation case with the Servicio Nacional de Discapacidad⁴⁸.

• General measures do not specifically take into account the needs of disabled students^46,47.

• Accessible education activities via the programme ‘Aprendo en casa’⁶⁰.

• Mainstream education: The national guidelines make explicit reference to the needs of disabled students and provide specific measures to promote inclusive education⁶².

Employment and Financial support

• Disabled people who receive a disability pension are entitled to an extra cash transfer of 3000 Argentine pesos (USD 44)⁸.

• New disability registrations can happen via distance⁷.

• Automatic renewal for 3 months (six in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires) to all disability registrations that are about to expire^3,13.

• In order to safeguard jobs, an agreement can be signed between companies and corresponding unions, with a duration of 60 days starting 29/04. The payment of wages may not be less than 75% of the net wages. The State pays 50% of wages through the Work and Production Assistance Programme²³.

• Suspension of “proof of life” (prova de vida) for beneficiaries of retirement and other social benefits, including disabled people²⁸.

• New disability registrations can happen via distance⁹⁸.

• Advance payment of R$200,00 (USD $40) for disabled people waiting for medical evaluation to receive financial benefits²⁹.

• Households with a disabled member are entitled to an extra financial benefit (usually it is ¼ of minimums salary, but it has increased to ½during the pandemic)²⁹.

• Emergency aid of two payments of R$600,00 (USD 120) each for freelancer workers or those informally employed³⁰.

• Temporary law allows salary reduction, with workload reduction, and contract suspension to keep jobs and income³⁰.

• Disabled people who receive a disability pension are not entitled to the Covid-19 cash transfer of 50,000 Chilean pesos (USD 62), but disabled people who belong to vulnerable households are entitled to it^42,43.

• Family emergency income: for families of 2 people and above that are within the 60% poorest population. Amount depends on family characteristics, and will be given for 3 months, starting in May^42,43.

• Disability registrations continue but in order to certify disability, people need to go physically to the appropriate office⁵⁶.

• The Employment Protection Law allows workers to access the benefits and supplements of Unemployment Insurance, in case of contract suspension or working day reduction. It can apply from April 6th^, 2020 for up to six months⁵⁵.

• Households with a disabled member are entitled to an extra cash transfer of 380 soles (USD111) per household⁷⁰.

• Paid leave for disabled people who cannot carry on working during the pandemic⁵⁸.

• In order to compensate for working time lost to quarantine, agreements can be made for the workers to take vacations, compensate for hours lost with accumulated overtime, accept reduced wages and working hours. If an agreement cannot be reached, the employer can unilaterally impose these measures⁵⁹.

Protection of people living in residential settings

Recommendations for:

 • Prohibition of all visits¹⁴.

 • Suspension of all therapeutic and recreative outings¹⁴.

 • Obligatory self-isolation in their room for those residents who return to the facility¹⁴.

 • Suspected cases need to be referred to health system within 2 h of identifying them, and residents need to be moved to secondary care¹⁴.

• Recommendations for preventive actions in institutions for elderly people, including suggestions of visiting restrictions³⁷.

Recommendations for:

 • Prohibition of all visits⁵².

 • Suspension of health appointments, unless they are necessary⁵².

 • Suspected cases need to be referred to health system and remain physically isolated⁵².

• Prohibition of all visits^68,69.

Reasonable accommodations for disabled people

• Disabled people, who are registered as disabled, and their carers, are able to go for brief walks at a distance of up to 500 m from their houses up to three times a week, without needing a special permission^1,9.

• Recommendations published by many organizations and universities, but no formal government policy.

• People with autism spectrum disorders and other mental health conditions, who are registered as disabled or have a doctor’s certificate, and their carers receive permission to be out for 2 h at a time, without restriction as to how many permissions they can receive⁴¹.

• Carers of disabled people receive permission to go to work, even in areas that are under quarantine measures, if they work in care homes for disabled people⁴¹.

• Priority access to humanitarian supplies and all other resources provided by the State, at all levels of public administration (including water and food)^58,64.

• All measures directed to disabled people also include people who care for a family member⁶⁴.

• People with autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions , and their carers, can be out of their house, but close to it, without needing a special permission, despite prohibition of movement^58,66.

• Disabled people can self-certify their disability status in order to receive associated benefits⁵⁸.

• Carers of disabled people receive permission to go to work⁵⁷.

Consideration of the needs of disabled people who face multiple exclusions

• Assistance line for gender-based violence, with special reference to disabled women (but without communication accommodations)¹¹.

• Disabled prisoners are considered for early release²⁰.

• Disabled prisoners are considered for early release (but new law being prepared at the time of writing, May 2020, will no longer allow this)³⁶.

• Information about women violence, including disabled people, and a special assistance line^31,35.

• Increased resources for the reporting of human rights violations, including against disabled people³³.

• No information

• Disabled people at situations of risk receive priority attention by the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations⁶⁴.

Inclusion to decision making process

No information

• No information

• No information

• No information