The Kings Fund – Can Deaf and disabled people’s organisations help shape health and care services in the UK?

In this guest blog for The King’s Fund, Manishta Sunnia, a researcher for the disabled women’s collective, Sisters of Frida, outlines how working in partnership with Deaf and disabled people’s organisations could enable health services to better meet the needs of those who use them.

Between January and November 2020, six in ten of those who died from Covid-19 were disabled. Disabled people have historically experienced a range of barriers to accessing health care, for example, the lack of suitable transport and inaccessible buildings, and the Covid-19 pandemic brought additional challenges. During the lockdowns, shielding concerns, the inappropriate use of DNRs (‘do not resuscitate’) and the mismanagement of vaccine allocations, did not consider the needs of disabled people. As safety measures have been lifted and waves of Covid infection continue, ongoing concerns for shielders and the inability to access care remain unaddressed. All this has left the disabled population’s trust in the health and social care system at a low point.  Click here to read more.