Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council

“…The consequences of this discrimination can be catastrophic, as we saw all too clearly — and often — during the COVID-19 pandemic. When ventilators were in short supply, people with disabilities often were placed at the end of the line, told their lives were worth less than non-disabled people. They were denied access to the people who provide the support they need to make decisions about treatment. And because they could not access the services and supports they needed to stay in the community, many had no choice but to live in nursing homes and other congregate settings where COVID-19 was rampant. Thousands of disabled people died as a result.”