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Shikako K, Lencucha R, Hunt M, Jodoin-Pilon S, Chandra A, Katalifos A, Gonzalez M, Yamaguchi S, Cardoso R, Elsabbagh M, Hudon A, Martens R, Cogburn D, Seth A, Currie G, Roth C, Finlay B, Zwicker J. Children with Disabilities in Canada during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of COVID-19 Policies through a Disability Rights Lens. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:942. [PMID: 37371173 DOI: 10.3390/children10060942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Children with disabilities were especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, and policies designed to mitigate its effects were limited in addressing their needs. We analyzed Canadian policies related to children with disabilities and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the extent to which these policies aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) and responded to their mental health needs by conducting a systematic collection of Canadian provincial/territorial policies produced during the pandemic, building a categorization dictionary based on the UN CRPD, using text mining, and thematic analysis to identify policies' alignment with the UN CRPD and mental health supports. Mental health was addressed as a factor of importance in many policy documents, but specific interventions to promote or treat mental health were scarce. Most public health policies and recommendations are related to educational settings, demonstrating how public health for children with disabilities relies on education and community that may be out of the healthcare system and unavailable during extended periods of the pandemic. Policies often acknowledged the challenges faced by children with disabilities and their families but offered few mitigation strategies with limited considerations for human rights protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Shikako
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal (D4), Quebec, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | - Raphael Lencucha
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal (D4), Quebec, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | - Matthew Hunt
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal (D4), Quebec, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | | | - Ananya Chandra
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal (D4), Quebec, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | - Anna Katalifos
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Quebec , QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Miriam Gonzalez
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal (D4), Quebec, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | - Sakiko Yamaguchi
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Prom Sir-William-Osler, Montréal (D4), Quebec, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
| | - Roberta Cardoso
- Health Center Research Institute, McGill University, Quebec, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Anne Hudon
- School of Rehabilitation, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3N 1X7, Canada
| | | | - Derrick Cogburn
- School of International Service, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
| | - Ash Seth
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2P 1H9, Canada
| | - Genevieve Currie
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2P 1H9, Canada
| | - Christiane Roth
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2P 1H9, Canada
| | - Brittany Finlay
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2P 1H9, Canada
| | - Jennifer Zwicker
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2P 1H9, Canada
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