As a core participant, Disability Wales will attend the Covid Inquiry public hearings (Module 2b), commencing 27 February in Cardiff. It will represent the interests and concerns of disabled people’s organisations regarding the devastating impact of Covid on disabled people in Wales.
Disabled people comprise 22% of the population in Wales, with nearly 40% living in poverty. This is the highest rate in the UK. They are also more likely to live in rented and overcrowded housing. Moreover, 10 years of austerity prior to the pandemic had already decimated the public services on which many disabled people rely.
Breaches of human rights
From the outset of the pandemic, Disability Wales raised concerns with the Welsh Government about how it would impact disabled people in Wales, given the stark inequalities already in existence. As lockdown measures took effect our fears were realised, with many disabled people reporting breaches of their human rights including:
- Loss of social care support and rights to assessment
- Lack of access to food and other essentials
- Fear and anxiety about blanket application of ‘do not attempt resuscitation’ notices
- Restricted access to healthcare and support with long-term conditions
Most shocking of all was the very high death rate from Covid among disabled people in Wales. It comprised almost 7 out of 10 deaths, compared to almost 6 out of 10 across the UK.
Lives and rights beyond Covid
These breaches and other issues were catalogued in a 2021 report published by the Welsh Government, which Disability Wales helped to co-produce, titled Locked Out: liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond Covid-19. In response to its findings and recommendations, the First Minister established a Disability Rights Taskforce to develop an action plan aimed at tackling the entrenched inequalities faced by disabled people.
Rhian Davies, Chief Executive of Disability Wales, says: “The Covid-19 Inquiry Public Hearings in Wales provide a significant opportunity to highlight the stark reality of life for disabled people during the pandemic: the isolation, loneliness, and confusion as well as the loss of power, voice, and citizenship.”
UK Covid Inquiry hearings critical
The UK Covid Inquiry Module 2b will investigate and make recommendations about the Welsh Government’s core political and administrative decision making relating to the pandemic. Disability Wales is represented in the Inquiry by a team at Bhatt Murphy led by Shamik Dutta and Charlotte Haworth-Hird and counsel Danny Friedman KC, and Anita Davies and Danielle Manson at Matrix Chambers.
Rhian Davies adds: “There was nothing inevitable about the 68% of deaths from Covid among disabled people in Wales. As the Locked Out report revealed, social factors contributed to this grim statistic, including discrimination, poor housing, poverty, employment status, and institutionalisation. Other factors included lack of adequate PPE, poor and patchy services, and inaccessible and confusing public health information.”
“For disabled people in Wales, these UK Covid Inquiry hearings in Cardiff are critical to calling those with power and responsibility to account, and ensuring that vital lessons are learned for the future.”
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