‘Voiceless’ and ‘vulnerable’: challenging how disabled children and young people were portrayed and treated during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and a call for action

Evidence is slowly emerging of the impact of both the COVID-19 virus and governmental policy decisions on the lives of children, both in the UK and internationally. Disabled children, however, have been afforded little attention, yet—as a group—our education, health, well-being and life chances have been disproportionately impacted. Such barriers in society are not necessarily new, disabled children are often denied their rights. Our voices have not been heard. In addition, we have also been categorised and portrayed as ‘the vulnerable’, without consideration of what that label might mean for the identity of a disabled child and how it might influence disablist attitudes. Examples in this chapter, drawn from our rights-based work and lived experience as RIP: STARS, demonstrate that disabled children should be part of all policy and practice plans for recovery post pandemic, far from being ‘voiceless’ and ‘vulnerable’ they have a lot to contribute.