Mortenson W Ben, Esfandiari Elham, Mohammadi Somayyeh, Sakakibara Brodie, Schmidt Julia, Simpson Ethan, Chan Janice, Reid Holly, Rash Isabelle, Brooks Emily, Tao Gordon, Krahn Quinn, Irish Jessica, Forwell Susan, Backman Catherine, Borisoff Jaimie, Ketter Nicole, Yu Natalie, Miller William C
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
GF Strong Rehabilitation Research Lab, Vancouver Coastal Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
PLoS One. 2025 Jun 17;20(6):e0325306. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325306. eCollection 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide reaching effects especially for people with disabilities. Drawing on Sen's Capability approach, we explored experiences of people with disabilities and older adults using semi-structured interviews that were conducted three to four months after the pandemic was declared. We recruited 71 adults from British Columbia, Canada: adults with spinal cord injuries (n = 22), adults who have experienced a stroke (n = 26), adults with general disabilities (n = 13), and older adults (over the age of 65) without reported disabilities (n = 10). Our analysis identified one overarching theme: "navigating the new normal: the societal reconfiguration of functionings and capabilities" described the challenges and successes participants experienced during pandemic-related restrictions and regulations. This theme encapsulated three sub-themes: 1) "Trying to stay connected: resuming functionings via alternative means," 2) "Worrying about future capability opportunities," and 3) "Wanting to exert control in the face of constrained capabilities." The pandemic created unique challenges for people with disabilities. The capability approach appears to be a helpful lens to interpret pandemic restrictions among people with disabilities, which could inform future policy.
新冠疫情产生了广泛影响，尤其是对残疾人而言。借鉴森的能力方法，我们通过在宣布疫情三到四个月后进行的半结构化访谈，探索了残疾人和老年人的经历。我们从加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省招募了71名成年人：脊髓损伤的成年人（n = 22）、中风患者（n = 26）、一般残疾的成年人（n = 13）以及无残疾报告的老年人（65岁以上，n = 10）。我们的分析确定了一个总体主题：“适应新常态：功能与能力的社会重构”，描述了参与者在与疫情相关的限制和规定期间所经历的挑战与成功。这个主题包含三个子主题：1）“努力保持联系：通过替代方式恢复功能”，2）“担心未来的能力机会”，以及3）“在能力受限的情况下想要施加控制”。疫情给残疾人带来了独特的挑战。能力方法似乎是解读残疾人疫情限制措施的一个有用视角，可为未来政策提供参考。
