Given the magnitude of the COVID-19 international pandemic and the measures being taken to “flatten the curve”, I rang the alarm early about the impending tsunami of surveys that would be descending upon SCI BC’s members and people with disabilities.
Three months into the pandemic and the survey tsunami has clearly hit our shores. Disability organizations, academic researchers, community funding agencies, local, provincial and federal governments, businesses, polling firms: everyone wants to know how people with disabilities are doing during the pandemic. What have been the positive and negative impacts of the pandemic measures? How can we better support people with disabilities in the early phases of the crisis and as our province’s restart plan is put into action? These questions (and many more) are being asked through surveys.
On the positive side, the questions being asked are, for the most part, really important in providing valuable information about how to support people with disabilities now, in the coming months, and in future pandemics or crises. On the negative side, there hasn’t been enough coordination between all the different surveys, meaning the same questions are being asked over and over again, and participant burnout is happening already.
The survey tsunami started with a ripple in late March as SCI BC promoted surveys by our BC SCI Network partner the Disability Foundation, the BC Centre for Disease Control, and a select group of others. By the end of June, the ripple turned into a full-scale tsunami with far too many surveys for SCI BC to promote adequately. Thus, we are being very careful to select surveys that are of most relevance to our members and organization.
Here is a list of surveys we encourage you to participate in – your thoughts, opinions, and experiences are important and can make an impact.
Abilities Centre and Canadian Disability Participation Project’s COVID-19 Disability Survey
The COVID-19 Disability Survey is a special initiative to record the experiences, concerns and needs of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 outbreak and recovery period. The survey’s findings will provide important information to help communities ensure that COVID-19 response strategies meet the needs of people of all abilities. SCI BC is a partner of the Canadian Disability Participation Project and has been given the opportunity to help shape the survey.
ICORD researchers are currently conducting a number of COVID-19-related and unrelated surveys. This includes:
- The impact of COVID-19 on people with SCI and rehabilitation access
- Understanding the experiences of individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury who can walk
- Understanding experiences of coping and managing health and function among people with SCI
- SSLOPE (Supporting Snowsports Leisure Opportunities for PEople with disabilities)
- Canadians’ Occupations during Viral Infection Days (COVID): A new normal
Neil Squire Study
Do you have difficulty using your hands and arms and have trouble using a traditional mouse or track pad? Do you use an alternative mouse pointing device such as Quadjoy, Jouse, LipSync, trackball, etc.? If so, Neil Squire could use your help with thier pointing devices study.
A $55 honorarium will be paid for a 30 minute session that you can do from your own home.
Please contact rd.info@neilsquire.ca if interested.
Rick Hansen Foundation COVID-19 Return to Business Accessibility Survey
This survey by the Rick Hansen Foundation survey is about how organizations can plan to safely reopen for business with the health and accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in mind. Ensuring the places we live, work, learn and play are accessible – and safe – is critically important in ensuring people of all abilities can contribute and participate. If you’re a person with a physical disability affecting your mobility, vision or hearing or an adult with a child or family member with a physical disability in your household, the Rick Hansen Foundation hopes that you will agree to participate in this short survey. It will take approximately 20 minutes and you have the option to respond to the survey via telephone, email, or text.
Please fill out this form to indicate your willingness to participate. A representative will contact you within the coming weeks to conduct the interview.
