Barriers Experienced by Children with Disabilities and Caregivers During the First Wave of COVID-19: A Social-Ecological Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FED.2025.03.25.06Keywords:
COVID-19, disability, school closures, inclusive education, caregivers, children, barriersAbstract
This paper examines the results of a Pan-Canadian online survey of caregivers of children with disabilities (n=247) that explored the barriers and unmet needs experienced by children with disabilities and their caregivers during the first wave of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sample of caregivers of children with disabilities between the ages of 4-21 years were recruited through disability advocacy organisations. A thematic analysis was conducted of caregivers’ responses to 3 open-ended survey questions not previously examined. The themes were analysed using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework and revealed attitudinal, structural, and policy barriers to equity and inclusion for children with disabilities and their caregivers at multiple levels of the social ecology. The themes included the microsystem (Multiple and complex roles for caregivers), Mesosystem (Is anyone out there?), Macrosystem (Disability exclusive decisions), Exosystem (Left behind), and Chronosystem (Stress and giving up). Recommendations for policy and practice include strengthening teacher training in inclusive pedagogies, enacting participatory policy co-design that prioritises the needs of children with disabilities and caregivers, increasing regulation of individualised education planning, and providing supports that address the well-being of children with disabilities and caregivers.
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