A public health crisis is a disability rights crisis: Health inequality and ableism in the pandemic

Whether we identify as disabled or not, the pandemic has brought issues relevant to disability rights to the forefront of our minds. It is timelier than ever to develop an understanding of disability rights concerning the pandemic. This opinion piece describes disability challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. Person first language is not adhered to here, in line with conversations in the disability rights movement (Botha et al., 2021). It is important to note that in conveying disability experiences during this period, it is understood that no two experiences are the same. Similarly, disability is a broad term, and the pandemic may have produced differing needs across areas of disability, such as physical and mental health and intellectual disability. Our hope is in beginning a conversation around the intersections and nuances of these issues.