Toolkit on best practice for Health and Social Care Professionals to respect the rights of persons with disabilities in public health emergencies

The Covid-19 pandemic put health and social care services under unprecedented strain. Before the development of effective vaccines, hospitals and intensive care units were pushed to the limit (and beyond) of their human and medical resources. Disability services were required to adapt to the continuously evolving pandemic-related rules and guidance. While it is to be acknowledged that the individuals working in these environments were working in extremely challenging conditions, and often engaged in innovative practice in order to try to preserve and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, there are clear lessons to be drawn from the Covid-19 period - both around the structuring of health and social care services, as well as practices which should be adopted in relation to people with disabilities in public health emergencies of this kind in the future.