Disability Studies professor speaks to government on COVID-19 response

Dr. Jeff Preston, Assistant Professor of Disability Studies, was invited by London West MP Kate Young to stand as an expert witness for a House of Commons’ Standing Committee.  Dr. Preston spoke about the government’s response to COVID-19 for people with disabilities to the committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) on May 4, 2020.

“Historically, disabled people have not been part of these types of discussions and I think it speaks to the success of the broader disability rights movement that we’re now seen as important stakeholders,” says Dr. Preston.

Along with two other experts, Dr. Preston presented 10 minutes of remarks followed by 30 minutes of questions from the Committee.

In his remarks, Dr. Preston discussed how the pandemic and social distancing has affected him on a personal level, as a person who uses assistive devices, before discussing what changes may come from the response to COVID-19.

“I think it was really important for the government to hear the level of anxiety many with disabilities are feeling about not just contracting the virus but whether or not medical triaging may mean some are left without medical care because of ableist assumptions. I was also hoping to articulate the complexities brought on by COVID-19 for those with physical impairments, like myself, who cannot fully socially distance as in-home care routines must be delivered in close proximity. Without access to personal protective equipment there is a significant risk to myself and my support workers and the government certainly has a role to play in helping to secure those resources for those in need,” says Dr. Preston.

Dr. Preston said “it was a great conversation” as the Ministers involved had some interesting questions about the types of support people with disabilities will be needing and how to avoid pitfalls as the government rolls out additional support.

“In confronting this existential threat, we must ask not just how we survive today but how to live with ourselves once it has passed. We must consider how our governmental system has left us in the current quagmire. We should think of how to rebuild a country that does not require us to make such vital decisions amidst the wreckage left behind by this pandemic,” he said.

For more information on HUMA, please visit https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/HUMA

For more information on Disability Studies at King’s, please visit https://www.kings.uwo.ca/academics/disability-studies/