Impact of COVID-19 on women and girls with disabilities in Canada: A life course perspective

One in five Canadians 15 years of age and older have a disability, and women (24%) are more likely to have a disability than men (20%). Women with disabilities experience significant social, health, and health care disparities, including disparities in sexual, reproductive, maternal, and child health (SRMCH). These disparities are the result of a long history of eugenic practices imposed on people with disabilities, and lingering negative societal attitudes toward disability and sexuality. The United Nations has documented the global impact of COVID-19 on SRMCH due to diversion of resources away from SRMCH services. In Canada, impacts include restricted access to contraception and abortion; fewer available prenatal, breastfeeding, and parenting resources; high rates of maternal anxiety and depression; missed childhood routine vaccinations; suspension of in-person family access for children in the care of the child welfare system; and increased incidence of intimate partner violence. Such impacts have been felt more acutely in marginalized groups including racialized, low socioeconomic status, and rural/remote communities. However, one marginalized group for whom the impacts of COVID-19 on SRMCH have received little attention is women with disabilities. In partnership with the Disabled Women's Network (DAWN) Canada, we propose a study to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SRMCH in women with disabilities across Canada using a national survey and interviews with women with disabilities in different stages across the life course. This research will result in real-time evidence to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SRMCH in women with disabilities and ultimately build a stronger, more inclusive SRMCH service system as we look toward COVID-19 recovery.