Disabilities and COVID-19 Pandemic
The Kentucky Developmental Disability Network has created two documents for people with disabilities for the COVID-19 pandemic. Know Your Rights is a one-page document that explains what a person's rights are during a pandemic if they are admitted into the hospital. The other "COVID-19 Disability Form" is helpful for medical professionals in the event you are admitted into the hospital during this pandemic. It includes information about a person’s medical history, medications, and communication preferences.
For the COVID-19 Disability Form - please answer the questions on this form to help physicians provide you with proper medical treatment, in case you need to go to the hospital for COVID-19 related symptoms. Complete as many of the questions as possible.
COVID-19 Disability Form
Know your rights COVID-19! Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act protect people with disabilities from discrimination in public services, employment, education, and their communities. A pandemic, like COVID-19, does not change those rights, unless it puts medical staff or others in danger.
If you go to the hospital during this pandemic, you have rights.
- You have a right to medical care like everyone else. You cannot be denied medical care, including a ventilator (a machine that helps you breathe), just because of your disability.
- You have a right to bring a friend, family member, or personal assistant who will assist you at the hospital if needed to communicate, to understand the management of my care, or for self-care. This is a reasonable accommodation.
- You have a right to your service dog.
- You have a right to your belongings like your wheelchair or ventilator.
- You have a right to get information in ways you understand.
- If you are deaf, you have a right to ASL interpreting.
- If blind, you have a right to information in Braille or large print.
Contact Kentucky Protection & Advocacy if you:
- Have questions about your legal rights
- Believe you have been discriminated against due to disability
- Are denied accommodations for your disability
- Have trouble getting information that you understand on COVID-19
Contact: Kentucky P&A, 1-800-372-2988, www.kypa.net