When the coronavirus hit Southern California, Hector Ramirez tried to hang on to some of the guideposts in his usual routine: Waking up at 6 a.m. each day. Making his bed. Showering. Heading out to walk his service dog in his Chatsworth neighborhood.
Research shows people with disabilities are at risk for mental health problems.
Professor Bess Williamson in her book Accessible America: A History Of Disability and Design wrote that “Design is a hopeful practice, one that looks to improve the current state of things and connect to functionality with a human, creative, sensitive touch.”
Everyone still needs to access essentials, whether it is groceries or medical care. Some people with disabilities have an especially hard time figuring out how to do so safely.
There are three natural enemies of urbanism: crime, terrorism, and pandemics. In the 1970s and 1980s, crime seemed like an existential threat to American cities. In the 2000s, it was terrorism. And today it’s pandemics, as COVID-19 sweeps across the country’s dense urban areas.
Nearly one in four Americans lives with a disability. For some, that means a compromised immune system and greater risk for the coronavirus. Advocates are sounding the alarm that Congress needs to do more to help this population of society’s most vulnerable.
Americans with disabilities are largely left out of the U.S. coronavirus response despite being uniquely affected by the disease, says Johns Hopkins epidemiologist and ophthalmologist Bonnielin Swenor
There are three natural enemies of urbanism: crime, terrorism, and pandemics. In the 1970s and 1980s, crime seemed like an existential threat to American cities. In the 2000s, it was terrorism. And today it’s pandemics, as COVID-19 sweeps across the country’s dense urban areas.
