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COVID-19 Infection Control Measures – Cross-Pressure Between the Right to Work and the Right to Health – A Norwegian Case Study of Service Provision to Persons With Cognitive Disabilities

aUIT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

Disability Welfare Policy in Europe

ISBN: 978-1-80382-820-6, eISBN: 978-1-80382-819-0

Publication date: 25 January 2023

Abstract

Work participation and work facilitation represent basic human rights for everyone. Work represents an important platform for welfare and well-being, but compared to the general workforce in Norway, persons with cognitive disabilities are severely under-represented. When workplaces locked down under the first COVID-19 outbreak spring 2020, some people were made redundant whilst many continued their work from home. The lockdown affected persons with cognitive disabilities through lockdown of workplaces, vocational training centres and even day activity centres. The scheme of working from home was not as obvious or facilitated for this group, as for other employees. When also visits were banned and common areas for socialisation were locked down, the consequences of these lockdowns were exacerbated. In this chapter we have examined and discussed the COVID-19 restrictions in Norway and how they affected the basic human rights of persons with cognitive disabilities, and also how such rights can be promoted through legislation, governance and service provision.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank the service providers who shared their experiences from their work during the first lockdown, and all of those helping us in the recruitment process. We would also like to thank Stina Hirsti and Rikke Gürgens Gjærum, our partners in the research project ‘Independent living and infection control – experiences with provision of home-based services for persons with cognitive disabilities under Corona measures’, from which this chapter is inspired.

Citation

Kane, A.A. and Melbøe, L. (2023), "COVID-19 Infection Control Measures – Cross-Pressure Between the Right to Work and the Right to Health – A Norwegian Case Study of Service Provision to Persons With Cognitive Disabilities", Genova, A., Scavarda, A. and Świątkiewicz-Mośny, M. (Ed.) Disability Welfare Policy in Europe, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 97-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-819-020231007

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023 Aina A. Kane and Line Melbøe. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited