The Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Visually Disabled Persons in Bangkok
Keywords:
COVID-19, visually disabled person, vaccine, health impactAbstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted on health and well-being of the population, particularly vulnerable groups. The purposes of this study were to explore health impact of COVID-19 regarding public health measure on people with visual impairment in Bangkok, to analyze factors affecting the impact, and to make recommendations to support visually impaired people in the situation of COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Questionnaires were used to collected data between June and July, 2021. A combination of purposive and snowball technique was applied to select 140 visually impaired people to the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive (percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (ANOVA, t-test, chi-square). Findings revealed that the outbreak and public health measures affected visually impaired people’s daily lives, occupation, and economic and emotional stress. Moreover, they faced difficulty in using public services due to social change in the new normal era. However, the government’s measures in response to the impact of COVID-19 on visually impaired group were not inclusive in design. For instance, there was a lack of system to support the constraints of the visually impaired, and health communication was inappropriate in terms of format and channel. The government should show empathy and implement comprehensive policies for visually impaired people with empathy, such as improve access for public services, improve access to health care services, as well as increase access to COVID-19 vaccine.
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