Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities and implications for health services research

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly constrained health systems worldwide, exposing and exacerbating multi-layered health inequities. People with disabilities, about 16% of the global population, often experience worse health outcomes than people without disabilities due to multiple barriers to accessing health care.1 These inequalities have been particularly exposed during the pandemic, indicating a pressing need to strengthen health systems so that they are inclusive and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities including during crises.