Introduction to the special issue: Employment and vocational rehabilitation considerations for people with disabilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared a worldwide pandemic in response to the Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. As of this writing, there have been more than 16 million confirmed cases of the virus in the United States and 72 million worldwide. Over 300,000 Americans who have acquired COVID-19 have died, making it the current leading cause of death in the United States. People with some types of disabilities, especially those with multiple disadvantaging characteristics and intersectionalities based on race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, and gender, are both more likely to contract the virus and more likely to experience severe or fatal symptoms. Phase 1A of the effort to vaccinate Americans began in December 2020, prioritizing health care workers and long-term care residents as the first people to be inoculated against the virus. However, experts warn that it could take until mid-2021 until all of those who desire and are medically authorized for the vaccine receive it, and we could continue to witness unprecedented