Nothing prepares you for a global pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the last pandemic comparable to the current one was H1N1 influenza, which killed about 12,500 people in the United States and an estimated 284,000 worldwide.
Discussing the ramifications of a pandemic with people who have disabilities takes some thoughtful planning. My brother-in-law Gabriel, who lives in Washington DC with my mother-in-law, has autism and is in his mid-twenties. About a year ago, he created a group text that includes me, my wife, and a few other family members, which he uses to give us updates on his life. These updates consist of anything from selfies of him dressed up as a wizard (a special interest of his for many years) to pictures of him baking banana bread to scenes from around the White House, where he frequently takes walks.
When large gatherings and businesses began to shut down all across the country, Gabriel realized that many of his favorite activities were going to be canceled. Along with the typical “good morning” and “good night” messages Gabriel texted us, he also began including the strong inflection “I hate Coronavirus.” He was looking forward to the St. Patrick’s’ Day Parade, which he realized would also be canceled. “I do wish the Coronavirus was over for my sake,” he continued, and he assured us that he wasn’t going to let the virus get him.
I asked my mother-in-law if she’d done anything to prepare Gabriel for dealing with the Coronavirus. She explained that she modeled what social distancing looked like “by holding our arms straight out towards each other but not touching to model a 6-foot distance.” This gave Gabriel a visual and physical model for personal space as he walks around the community. She also told him that he should start wearing a mask, wash his hands regularly, and not touch anything if he could help it. Gabriel himself made the decision to wear gloves whenever he left the house.
Talking to people with disabilities about a pandemic is, at its core, no different than talking about it with anyone else, but there are a few extra considerations. Here are three strategies to help explain a pandemic to people with disabilities.