Pandemic Life - A Personal Perspective

The past two years, living in this global pandemic as a person with a disability, has been more difficult than the average person realizes. 

Living with a disability can be very isolating in normal times, but since the pandemic, many of us have been more isolated than ever. No longer do we only face issues with accessibility, but now we face the fear of leaving our homes and coming in contact with someone who has Covid. A lot of us with disabilities are in the vulnerable or immunocompromised group of society and it’s been difficult to navigate pandemic life even with restrictions in place.

Along with isolation, the pandemic has also been more of a financial burden on us. In these past two years, the price of some medical supplies has skyrocketed due to scarcity and people with disabilities have had to spend money from their own savings to buy the things they need. Many of us have also had to spend extra to have essential things delivered to our home and, unfortunately, those services are only available to people living within city limits. 

Thankfully, for the majority of people, pandemic restrictions are beginning to lessen as we try to get back to normal but, for those of us with disabilities, it’s still a scary time. With mandates lifting It feels as though the health and safety of people with disabilities is not a priority, and there has been no clear plan by our government on how they intend to keep vulnerable people safe.

The pandemic has given many able-bodied people a small glimpse into the reality of what it’s like living with a disability, especially in regards to isolation and health worries. Yes, we are all becoming tired of the pandemic and really want things to go back to normal, but we also want to know that our health and safety are a priority as we go forward into our future. 

To find out more about Jennifer Coughlin, you can visit: /our-bloggers