How Canterbury disabled people experienced the first COVID-19 lockdowns in Aotearoa - workshop data

On Friday 7 August, the Earthquake Disability Leadership Group (EDLG) held a Network Meeting with approximately 40 disabled people, whānau and representatives from Canterbury organisations to capture the COVID-19 experiences of disabled people in Canterbury during the first Level 3 and Level 4 lockdowns (March - May 2020).

A workshop was held as an opportunity to share Covid-19 experiences and contribute to research on the disability perspective of the pandemic. The EDLG started the meeting by setting the scene and sharing research that has been conducted by other organisations across the country, including Disabled Persons Assembly and the Office for Disability Issues.

Attendees then worked together to discuss their Covid-19 experiences, covering what went well, what the challenges were, and ideas for improving how disabled people are communicated with and supported in a crisis.

The insights gathered are provided here for all participants and members of the EDLG Network so that they can advocate for change in their communities, either for themselves or on behalf of the organisations they represent. The data will also be presented by EDLG to a wide range of community leaders in Canterbury to ensure the voices of disabled people are heard throughout the pandemic, and in the 2020 election.

Below is the raw data from the meeting, available to anyone who wants to use the data for advocacy or to inform future crisis responses.

For more information on this research project, contact us.