Public Participation in the Time of Covid‐19: Response From the International Disability Movement

This article examines attempts by the international disability movement to influence Covid‐19‐related policy by becoming involved in high‐level decision‐making processes and advocacy activities. Global emergencies like the Covid‐19 pandemic limit opportunities for citizen engagement in governance. Like other marginalised groups, persons with disabilities faced increased exclusion in this period, including barriers and lack of opportunities to participate in public decision‐making processes via civil society. The de‐prioritisation of their lives and opinions was evident in many countries’ initial approaches to containment and treatment, contributing to an excess risk of death among persons with disabilities. International legal instruments like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by 191 (state) parties, affirm persons with disabilities’ right to participate in all public affairs as crucial for their equality and inclusion. This article defines the scope of public participation of persons with disabilities under international human rights law and employs a document analysis of public and grey literature from civil society organisations and international institutions of governance. This analysis examines the barriers preventing persons with disabilities from participating in Covid‐19‐related policy and decision‐making and explores how a representative organisation—the International Disability Alliance—utilised existing channels and created new spaces to amplify their voices globally. To do this, we utilise the concept of “invited and invented space” and demonstrate the strategic response of the movement to barriers to public participation during the global pandemic.