University educator Rosemary Kayess reveals the moment the coronavirus pandemic response of some countries made her feel that lives like hers were 'not valued', during an appearance on Q+A.
Many people are feeling more lonely during the coronavirus pandemic, but some say the experience has made them feel "dispensable", compounding a sense of isolation and exacerbating mental health issues.People living with a disability, or in aged care, felt written off as "collateral damage" during the pandemic
Gus Worland advocated for Australian men to embrace "vulnerable silence" to help confront mental health issuesRosemary Kayess, associate director of the Disability Innovation Institute at the University of NSW, was speaking on Monday as a member of a Q+A panel that also included radio personality Gus Worland, author Sarah Wilson, psychologist Hugh Mackay and the scientific chair of Ending Loneliness Together, Michelle Lim.
As the panel discussed social fragmentation, Ms Kayess agreed it could lead to loneliness and said those living with a disability were highly exposed to it. "That specific [physical] segregation is structurally embedded for people with disability, the way they're segregated in education, the way they're segregated in terms of residential care and services," she said.LoadingShe pointed to the critical care triage systems developed in countries like Italy, Spain and the UK when those nations were in the depths of the pandemic, that were detrimental to disabled people.
"We'd started the pandemic … saying, 'Look, for most people it's just going to be a mild flu … it's really only a concern for the people with pre-existing conditions, and the elderly,'" she said."There was examples from various countries where they were singling out diagnostic groups [including people with a disability] … that wouldn't receive critical care.
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