‘Because of COVID, Everything is a Mess’ How Have People with Disabilities Experienced the Pandemic in Nepal and Bangladesh?

Rohwerder, Brigitte; Thompson, Stephen; Shaw, Jackie; Wickenden, Mary; Kayastha, Shubha; Sigdel, Anita; Akter, Fatema; Bosri, Rabia

doi:10.19088/if.2021.003

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…This unavailability of information puts them at health risk related to COVID‐19. These findings are similar to the findings of other studies conducted in Nepal (Gurunga, 2021 ; Rohwerder et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…This approach does not address diverse needs of people with different types of disabilities for their right to education, livelihood, health, information, and communication technology. These findings are echoed in other studies (Poudel & Subedi, 2020;Rohwerder et al, 2021) on Nepal. One of the senior officials of a disability organization explained that the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology could have developed the school course-based audio book, but they have not been provided, which shows how the government has addressed the issue of blind students in Nepal.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

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“We'll starve to death”: The consequences of COVID‐19 over the lives of poor people with disabilities in rural Nepal

Sarker

Shrestha

Tamang³

2022

Asian Soc Wrk & Pol Rev

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There is no doubt that the sudden outbreak of COVID‐19 negatively impacted billions of people worldwide, and among them, people with disabilities became most susceptible. However, little is known about the impact of COVID‐19 on the lives of people with disabilities in Nepal. Using empirical data from semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with people with disabilities, disability specialist, and community leaders, this study discusses the lived experiences of people with disabilities who have been affected by COVID‐19 in Nepal. This study revealed that the outbreak of COVID‐19 impacted people with disabilities by worsening their vulnerability. In particular, the majority of people with disabilities became further isolated, were disconnected from existing services such as access to information, education, and health care and many lost their income opportunities. Findings from this study further show that this pandemic affected the rights of people with disabilities guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Immediate financial and non‐financial support for people with disabilities from government and other stakeholders, such as non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), is needed, indicating the need for policymakers to reassess policies to ensure that they adequately protect the rights of people with disabilities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“We'll starve to death”: The consequences of COVID‐19 over the lives of poor people with disabilities in rural Nepal

Sarker

Shrestha

Tamang³

2022

Asian Soc Wrk & Pol Rev

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“…This nding supports previous literature that identi es high travel costs and additional services as barriers to quality healthcare 28 , and is in line with the nding that women with disabilities face disproportionally large nancial barriers to other population groups 30 . Moreover, this nding also indicates that the problem of high costs may have even been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic in Nepal 31 . Similarly, both participant groups identi ed the absence of state nancing as a major barrier.…”

Section: Converging Perspectives On How To Improve Quality Healthcarementioning

confidence: 75%

Improving the Maternal Healthcare Quality for Women with Disabilities in Nepal

Herren,

Noori,

Lanzarotti

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Introduction This study identifies approaches to quality improvement for women with disabilities in Nepal from the perspective of the women themselves and the policymakers. Nepal has seen significant progress in maternal healthcare, including a marked reduction in maternal mortality. However, this progress masks disparities, particularly for women with disabilities. The study aims to address the gap in quality of maternal healthcare for these women, in light of Nepal’s evolving healthcare policies and federal structure. Studies have been conducted on quality improvement for maternal health but few studies have been done from both perspectives.Methods Qualitative data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with two groups: 12 women with visual and physical disabilities, and 12 policymakers at different administrative levels. Conducted in the outskirts of Kathmandu, these interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed thematically.Results Women with disabilities in Nepal highlighted significant healthcare challenges, including inadequate disability-friendly infrastructure, scarce resources like wheelchairs and interpreters, understaffing, financial barriers, and lack of adequately trained healthcare staff. They advocated for better policy enforcement, increased staff training, and self-education on disability effects. Policymakers acknowledged these issues, noting improvements in infrastructure after the 2015 federalization of Nepal, but noted financial constraints and a lack of staff training and awareness. They suggested leveraging private funds and NGO collaboration for better resource allocation and emphasized the potential of local government initiatives for more tailored healthcare solutions.Conclusion In this study examining healthcare quality improvements, women with disabilities and policymakers agreed on the necessity of enhanced infrastructure, resources, and state financing, but diverged in their perceptions of progress and implementation strategies. Policymakers view current efforts optimistically and favor leveraging private funding, whereas women report insufficient improvements and neglect. Both groups value healthcare provider training, yet differ on approaches to achieve it. To address these disparities, the study recommends interactive workshops for shared understanding, strategic optimization of state spending, and curriculum updates to include specialized training for healthcare providers, aiming to unify efforts towards better healthcare for women with disabilities.

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“…A narrative interview approach was selected as its unstructured and depth-seeking format was deemed to be appropriate for gathering highly personal data from a group of marginalised individuals. Narrative interviews have been successfully used when gathering data about people with disabilities in other contexts, since they can ensure full and meaningful inclusion of all participants if they are carefully planned and implemented (Rohwerder et al, 2021;Thompson & Rohwerder, 2023;Thompson et al, 2021;. Narrative interviews are subject-led, generating highly personal and individual, situational, emotional, and relational insights in a way that researcher-led interviews may not be able to.…”

Section: Methodological Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disability, Religion, and Gender: Exploring Experiences of Exclusion in India Through an Intersectional Lens

Thompson,

Rohwerder,

Mukherjee

2023

Self Cite

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Despite the existence of national and international laws and conventions to avoid discrimination in India, exclusion due to an intersection of disability, gender, and religious identity continues, resulting in marginalisation from society. This article investigates the lived experiences of people by exploring how aspects of their identity intersect to influence their inclusion or exclusion within society. Narrative interviews were undertaken with 25 participants with disabilities in the states of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. This qualitative methodology was employed to allow the participants to recount their experiences (both positive and negative) in their own words. A thematic analysis of the data provided rich evidence of the complex social structure in India, manifested by the multifaceted intersectional nature of social inclusion and exclusion. Our research found that for our participants disability was the main factor upon which discrimination was based, but that this discrimination is often compounded for people with disabilities due to their minority religious status, or gender. Marginalisation of people with disabilities is shown to be exacerbated when these identities intersect. Action is needed to ensure the human rights of people with disabilities are realised and that discrimination and marginalisation are avoided for those who have different identities compared to the majority of the population.

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‘Because of COVID, Everything is a Mess’ How Have People with Disabilities Experienced the Pandemic in Nepal and Bangladesh?

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

“We'll starve to death”: The consequences of COVID‐19 over the lives of poor people with disabilities in rural Nepal

“We'll starve to death”: The consequences of COVID‐19 over the lives of poor people with disabilities in rural Nepal

Improving the Maternal Healthcare Quality for Women with Disabilities in Nepal

Disability, Religion, and Gender: Exploring Experiences of Exclusion in India Through an Intersectional Lens

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