Responding to the Needs of People with Disabilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Community Perspectives from Centers for Independent Living

Kennedy, Jae; Frieden, Lex; Dick-Mosher, Jennifer

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are federally funded, community-based organizations designed and operated by people with disabilities that provide individual and systems advocacy, peer support, information and referral, independent living skills training, and transition services throughout the U.S. and its territories. Centers for Independent Living therefore offer a rich and detailed perspective on the needs of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this brief report, we summarize COVID-19-related issues raised by 144 CIL administrators and staff in a national survey conducted in April and May 2020 and discuss their research and policy implications. Respondents voiced concerns about health and safety, long-term supportive services, social isolation, and economic insecurity. In the words of one center director, "The pandemic has pulled back the curtain on the depth of need in our local disability community."