Barriers to Personal Protective Equipment, Testing, and Vaccines: The Impact of COVID-19 on Ohioans with Disabilities
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected individuals with disabilities across the state of Ohio. Determining the needs of individuals with disabilities and the barriers that they face is important to improve response efforts during future emergencies.
Methods: A web-based needs assessment conducted within the state of Ohio looked to determine the aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including personal protective equipment (PPE) accessibility, COVID-19 vaccines, and testing, that disproportionately affected individuals with disabilities.
Results: Out of 73 respondents, few faced challenges understanding and using PPE, but 34.7% faced moderate to severe struggles to obtain it, especially adaptable PPE, with 16.2% experiencing difficulties obtaining adaptable PPE. While comprehension of PPE usage was high, some confusion about mask policies persisted, and a smaller group requested assistance, indicating accessibility issues. Most participants reported minimal challenges with COVID-19 testing and vaccination processes. Nonetheless, some were confused due to unclear information, accessibility barriers, and complex procedures. Issues included limited manual dexterity for self-testing and transportation problems for drive-up sites. Overall, responses highlighted a demand for clearer communication and more accessible processes.
Conclusion: Access to PPE was good, but individuals with disabilities faced challenges with adaptable options. While understanding PPE was mostly straightforward, confusion over guidelines and accessible PPE remained. Accessible information on testing and vaccination was also a challenge, though general comprehension was high. Approaches needed to prevent disproportionate impacts during public health emergencies include clear, inclusive communication in various formats, dedicated accessible vaccine clinics, enhanced access to adaptable PPE, training for providers on disability etiquette, and improved efforts to combat misinformation.
Keywords: Disability, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 testing, Personal protective equipment, Deductive thematic analysis within a qualitative framework
How to Cite:
Bergman M, Hinson-Enslin AM, Kinzeler N. Barriers to personal protective equipment, testing, and vaccines: the impact of COVID-19 on Ohioans with disabilities. Ohio J Public Health. 2026;8(2). https://doi.org/10.18061/ojph.6403
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