By Carli Friedman, CQL Director of Research
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the disability community immensely. However, less attention has been paid to the needs of people with disabilities during the pandemic. Yet, the disability community is heterogeneous, with many people with disabilities being multiply marginalized.
Less research has examined COVID-19 infections among people with intersecting identities, including disability. For these reasons, this study examined differences in COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in the disability community. To do so, we analyzed United States Census Bureau data from 450,000 people. The data were weighted to represent population demographics.
As of January 2022, 19.3% of people with disabilities had been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare professional. In fact, people with disabilities were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than people without disabilities, even when vaccination status and all other demographic characteristics were controlled.
In addition, there were differences in COVID-19 diagnosis among the disability community. Regardless of vaccination status, the odds of people with disabilities being diagnosed with COVID-19 increased by:
- 42% when people with disabilities were Hispanic
- 29% when people with disabilities had some college
- 28% when people with disabilities had associate’s degrees
- 23% when people with disabilities were cisgender women
- 23% when people with disabilities were Black
- 22% when people with disabilities had cognitive disabilities
- 17% when people with disabilities had private insurance
- 15% when people with disabilities had employer insurance
- 6% for every 1 additional person people with disabilities lived with
Regardless of vaccination status, the odds of people with disabilities being diagnosed with COVID-19 decreased by:
- 47% when people with disabilities had a sexual orientation of ‘something else’
- 43% when people with disabilities received a COVID-19 vaccine
- 38% when people with disabilities were Asian
- 23% when people with disabilities had household incomes of less than $25,000
- 23% when people with disabilities had Medicare
“There were also differences in vaccination in the disability community based on disability type, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, education, income, health insurance, and household size. Many of the people with disabilities who were more likely to face health care disparities prior to the pandemic, were also more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 during the pandemic” (Friedman, 2022, p. 13).
COVID-19 Diagnosis Disparities in the Disability Community