Accessibility of Canadian COVID-19 Testing Locations for People with Disabilities During the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

  • Sara Rotenberg Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
  • Jane Cooper Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
  • Matthew B. Downer Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v11i2.892

Keywords:

Accessibility; COVID-19 Testing; Health Equity; Health Access; People with Disabilities; Health Communication

Abstract

Background: Canadians with disabilities make up nearly a quarter of the population yet faced barriers in accessing information about COVID-19 testing accessibility across the country. Objective: This study aimed to understand the availability of accessibility information for COVID-19 testing sites in Canada. To date, no known studies have evaluated the availability of accessibility information online.
Methods: An environmental scan of COVID-19 testing websites was conducted (1) nationally through the provincial/territorial websites for COVID-19 testing and (2) in Ontario, where there was individual location information. Data on key accessibility features were extracted from the website to simulate the user experience of booking a COVID-19 test during March 2021. Results: All provinces and territories provided minimal accessibility information on their provincial or territorial COVID-19 testing websites. Only Ontario included accessibility information for individual testing locations. Out of 170 individual testing locations in Ontario, few had information about accessibility, with only 8.2% listing at least 3 of the 5 key accessibility features measured on their websites.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that, more than a year into the pandemic, there existed a clear lack of accessibility information for testing locations for Canadians with disabilities.

Author Biographies

Sara Rotenberg, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford

Matthew B. Downer, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford

Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford

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Published

2022-08-11

How to Cite

Rotenberg, S., Cooper, J., & Downer, M. B. (2022). Accessibility of Canadian COVID-19 Testing Locations for People with Disabilities During the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 11(2), 161–180. https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v11i2.892

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2022)

Section

Articles

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