Dissolving Ableism: Could Disabled People Flourish During the First Aotearoa New Zealand COVID-19 Lockdown?

Societal culture, space, and structure have been unprecedentedly disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic creating disproportionate vulnerability for disabled people. However, the upheaval of many societal conditions has presented enabling opportunities for disabled people. We report on interviews with 30 disabled people during the first four-week Aotearoa New Zealand COVID-19 lockdown. Three key themes were interpreted: “I am experiencing less disability on a daily basis,” encapsulating the experience of reduced disabling barriers for participants; “Working from home: the flexibility I have been asking for,” summarizing the benefits of functioning in an enabling home/work space; and “Social connection opportunities are the same for everyone,” overviewing participants reports that online opportunities presented a greater sense of belonging than before lockdown. Study findings highlight that despite a constant fear of the negative impact posed by COVID-19, there were numerous opportunities to reduce ablism through applying empowering factors inherent in novel cultural spaces.