Exploring the lived experiences of women with disabilities and policy response toward mitigating challenges faced during coronavirus pandemic alert levels 5-3: a case study of the city of Johannesburg.

Abstract

Pandemics and outbreaks have different impacts on vulnerable groups, particularly those with disabilities. From the risk of exposure to biological and physical vulnerability to infection to the economic and social implications, individuals’ experiences are likely to vary according to their physical and gender characteristics and their interaction with other social determinants. Women with disabilities stand a higher risk of suffering the consequences of any global pandemic. These challenges faced by women with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic include issues related to their health and well-being, profoundly impacting barriers already faced while creating new ones as well. In addition, some women with disabilities were at a higher risk of becoming infected or experiencing complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, global and national strategic plans for COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response needed to be grounded in solid gender and disability analysis. Through the national government’s response to curb the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there were no specific policies aimed at addressing issues faced by women with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, their challenges persisted, leaving them in dire situations. The study laid a foundation for this qualitative inquiry and employed the feminist disability theory, agenda setting, policy formulation, public participation, and policy implementation. This qualitative study seeks to bridge the gap between the challenges and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on women with disabilities. This attempt aims to add other aspects of disability from a marginalized population. In examining this issue, the study seeks to lay the foundation for understanding the lived experiences of women with disabilities during a pandemic. The study utilized a case study approach; data was collected through semi-structured interviews with women with disabilities, state actors, family members, and non-government organizations of Gauteng, the City of Johannesburg. Augmented by extensive literature and policy reviews, the research findings reveal that women with disabilities are more likely to face various challenges during times of emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic. The results confirm the feminist disability theory’s view that the functioning of women with disabilities is determined by broader contextual, social, historical, and gendered power relations. Therefore, the study recommends that it is crucial for the government to take an intersectional and disability-inclusive approach to mitigate the impact of disasters and should be aware of the effects of their mitigation regulations on vulnerable members of society.