Changes in Social Services for People with Disabilities in the State of Emergency Instigated by COVID-19 – Results of Preliminary Research

Pavel Zikl, Aneta Marková, Michal Nesládek, Petra Bendová, Ivana Havránková, Adéla Mojžíšová, Radka Prázdná, Zuzana Truhlářová

Pavel Zikl is a special education teacher by profession and works as an associate professor at the University of Hradec Králové. His work focuses on the issue of education and comprehensive rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Besides his activities at the university, he has worked as a special education teacher for a number of years and collaborated with social services for people with disabilities.

Aneta Marková is a researcher, special education teacher, and research manager. She works at the University of South Bohemia, and her research and lectures focus on the issue of intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Michal Nesládek is a psychologist, he is working as a specialist at the National Institute of Mental Health of the Czech Republic. He has been active in research and data analysis, and formally a research worker at the National Institute for Education.

Petra Bendová is a special education teacher. She focuses mainly on intervention of children and adults with speech disorders, intellectual disabilities, and ASD. She worked in Special Educational Center and also as a speech therapist. She works as an assistant professor at the University of Hradec Králové.

Havránková works as a leader of social services in the Czech Abilympic Association, and is an external worker at the Institute of Social Work of Philosophical Faculty, University of Hradec Králové.

Adéla Mojžíšová is an associate professor at the University of South Bohemia. Her main professional and research interests are theories and methods of social work, supervision in social work, social rehabilitation, and social work with the family.

Radka Prázdná is a special education teacher by profession, she works as a university lecturer at the University of South Bohemia. In her lectures and publications, she focuses on social inclusion of individuals with special needs.

Zuzana Truhlářová works as an assistant professor at the University of Hradec Králové. She deals with issues of formal and informal care for people with disabilities.

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The objective of the paper is to present the results of a pilot research project dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on selected types of social services for people with disabilities (changes in provided services, sources of information, routine in the facilities and modifications of internal procedures, impact on clients, staff and finance). THEORETICAL BASE: The theoretical background is constituted by government resolutions, measures, and recommendations issued by ministries, internal regulations in the social service facilities, and the results of foreign studies analysing the impact of COVID-19 on social services for people with disabilities. METHOD: The chosen method was qualitative and the data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The target group comprised the management of social services for people with disabilities. OUTCOMES: The article presents the results of the qualitative content analysis of interviews, which are structured according to the areas defined in the section “objectives” and they include a discussion aiming at the identification of potential risks, areas of further research, and limits thereof. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: The text provides social workers with insight into how the selected social services for people with disabilities coped with the pandemic, into their greatest challenges, and effects of the pandemic on services, clients and staff.

Keywords
social services, COVID-19, disability

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