Resilience among Persons With Disability in the awake of covid 19 pandemic in Apac District

Abstract

The study sought to examine the resilience among persons with disability in the awake of COVID 19 pandemic in Apac District. The specific objectives were; to identify the socioeconomic challenges persons with disabilities face in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic, to examine the psychological challenges that came as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic among persons with disabilities and to identify coping styles used by the person with disabilities in the awake of COVID 19 pandemic. The study was a mixed method using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study employed a survey design using descriptive statistics. Data was collected the sample of 40 participant. Of these, 35 were persons with disabilities and 5 were key informants. The researcher used questionnaires and key informant guides for data collection. Data analysis involved computations and coding to translate question responses into specific categories. The coded quantitative items were entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis for quantitative data and qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. In background characteristics, persons with disability with secondary education and above had better networks and job opportunities that were instrumental in their coping. Thus, fostering resilience to shocks should prioritize promoting access to secondary education and above. For these persons’ resilience to be built and to enable them withstand shock in the event of crises such as COVID-19, any resilience building interventions need to take into account their disability types since these are key determinants of variations in vulnerability. Persons with particular difficulties are hit harder than the others. Thus, resilient building interventions ought to take stock of these differences.