Good Gretchen A, Nazari Orakani Solmaz, Officer Tara N, Roguski Michael, McBride-Henry Karen
Gretchen Good, School of Health Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Practice, Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
J Vis Impair Blind. 2022 Nov;116(6):830-836. doi: 10.1177/0145482X221144324.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected access to health and social services globally, leading to delays in accessing appropriate care. However, while there is a growing base of research into service access for the general population, there remains scarce information on the implications of the pandemic on disabled people. This article describes issues with health and disability support access for people with impaired vision in Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa). Applying an Interpretive Description methodology, 62 interviews were conducted with disabled people; 10 of these individuals identified as having impaired vision. Findings were analyzed thematically for the entire group of 62, representing varied impairment groups, and then for the 10 who had impaired vision. Five key themes arose from the interviews, including transportation difficulties, mental distress, loss of community, loss of physical contact and signals, and general loss of support. Participants identified that this loss of support occurred at multiple levels, meaning that the disability and healthcare system as a whole was ill-equipped to manage their needs. Participants reported a lag-time in accessing care, meaning that the effects of the pandemic are still felt due to a lack of available support and resources. This article remains one of a few studies to look at the implications of the pandemic on access to health and disability services for those with impaired vision. It highlights that despite Aotearoa's good track record in managing the pandemic, groups were forgotten and marginalized by the collective response to managing COVID-19. Blindness professionals must be aware of the possible disadvantages and impacts of pandemics and other disasters on people with impaired vision and their access to health and disability services. Policymakers must include disabled people at the decision-making table so that the diverse needs of these populations are managed.
新冠疫情影响了全球范围内人们获得健康和社会服务的机会，导致在获得适当护理方面出现延迟。然而，虽然针对普通人群服务获取的研究基础在不断扩大，但关于疫情对残疾人影响的信息仍然匮乏。本文描述了新西兰（奥特亚罗瓦）视力受损者在获得健康和残疾支持方面存在的问题。采用解释性描述方法，对残疾人进行了62次访谈；其中10人被认定为视力受损。对代表不同受损群体的62人进行了主题分析，然后对10名视力受损者进行了分析。访谈中出现了五个关键主题，包括交通困难、精神困扰、社区丧失、身体接触和信号丧失以及普遍的支持丧失。参与者指出，这种支持丧失在多个层面发生，这意味着整个残疾和医疗保健系统在满足他们的需求方面准备不足。参与者报告称在获得护理方面存在滞后，这意味着由于缺乏可用的支持和资源，疫情的影响仍然存在。本文是少数研究疫情对视力受损者获得健康和残疾服务影响的研究之一。它强调，尽管奥特亚罗瓦在应对疫情方面有着良好记录，但在应对新冠疫情的集体行动中，这些群体被遗忘和边缘化了。视力障碍专业人员必须意识到疫情和其他灾难对视力受损者及其获得健康和残疾服务可能产生的不利影响。政策制定者必须让残疾人参与决策，以便管理这些人群的多样化需求。
