Accord priority for disabled during Covid-19 vaccination: Organisations write to PM

They said that prioritisation in vaccination is a reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities and not providing it is discrimination

A group of disability rights organisations have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan requesting them to accord priority to persons with disabilities for Covid-19 vaccination.

The around 30 groups which sent the letter included the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, Ektha and Sama Foundation.

They cited physical vulnerabilities, preexisting medical conditions, communication barriers, close contact needed with others for personal care, social isolation and disruption in social networks, discrimination in access to healthcare facilities resulting in deprioritisation in times of limited resources as the reasons among others for seeking priority in the vaccination programme.

"It is vital for personal care attendants, health workers and persons with disabilities, chronically ill people to have access to the vaccine. They should (also) be part of decision-making about vaccine priorities and planning for how future public health emergencies are handled," said Arman Ali, Executive Director, NCPEDP.

Ektha co-founder Rajiv Rajan said, "many of us lack immunity. Most of us cannot maintain social distancing because we need support for our day to day activities. Many of us cannot understand what is going on around us as modes and means of communication are not accessible to many of us."

Rajan said that the prioritisation in vaccination is a reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities and not providing it is discrimination.