COVID-19 and people with disabilities : assessing the impact of the crisis and informing disability-inclusive next steps : Portugal.
Date: 2022-02-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Subjects: Portugal, access to a profession, access to education, access to the courts, coronavirus disease, employment statistics, food security, health risk, health statistics, hospitalisation, integration of people with disabilities, means of transport, mortality, risk management, social situation, social statistics, teleworking, therapeutics

COVID-19 and people with 
disabilities 

Assessing the impact of the crisis and informing disability-
inclusive next steps 

Portugal 

November 2021 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 
Directorate D — Social Rights and Inclusion 
Unit D3 — Disability and Inclusion 

European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

COVID-19 and people with 
disabilities 

Assessing the impact of the crisis and informing disability-
inclusive next steps 

Portugal 

Paula Campos Pinto 
María A. Acosta Jiménez 

This report has been developed under Contract VC/2020/0273 with the European 
Commission. 

Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LEGAL NOTICE 

Manuscript completed in March 2021

This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the authors, 
and the European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this publication. More 
information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://www.europa.eu). 

The European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this publication. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2022

© European Union, 2022 

The  reuse  policy  of  European  Commission  documents  is  implemented  based  on  Commission  Decision 
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Except  otherwise  noted,  the  reuse  of  this  document  is  authorised  under  a  Creative  Commons  Attribution  4.0 
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provided appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated. 

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-76-36332-3 

DOI: 10.2767/845721 

KE-03-21-203-EN-N 

COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Table of contents 

Executive summary ............................................................................................ 5 
Disability-inclusive disaster and recovery planning ............................................ 7 
  Commitments to disability in disaster management and recovery strategies
 ................................................................................................................... 7 
Involvement of people with disabilities in disaster management and 
recovery strategies .................................................................................... 8 

  Disability impact assessments and research to inform disaster 

management and recovery planning .......................................................... 8 
  Use of disaster management and recovery planning funds ....................... 9 
  Mortality connected to COVID-19 among people with disabilities .................... 10 
  Are official statistics available concerning the overall mortality rate of 

people with disabilities? ........................................................................... 10 

  Are official statistics available concerning the mortality rate of people with 

disabilities who have died from complications connected to COVID-19?  10 
Access to health ............................................................................................... 11 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 11 
  Access to hospital treatment for COVID-19 ............................................. 11 
  Treatment for COVID-19 in congregate settings ...................................... 12 
  Public health promotion and testing during the pandemic ....................... 12 
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on access to health services for general or 
pre-existing physical or mental health conditions .................................... 13 
  Vaccination programmes ......................................................................... 14 
Income and access to food and essential items ............................................... 15 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 15 
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 15 
4.2 
Access to transportation and the public spaces ............................................... 16 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 16 
4.3 
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 16 
Involuntary detention or treatment .................................................................... 17 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 17 
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 18 
Violence, exploitation or abuse ........................................................................ 19 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 19 
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 19 
Independent living ............................................................................................ 21 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 21 
Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 21 
  Access to habilitation and rehabilitation ........................................................... 22 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 22 
  Impact of COVID-19 and/or emergency measures adopted .................... 22 
  Access to justice .............................................................................................. 23 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 23 
  Impact of COVID-19 crisis ....................................................................... 23 
  Access to education ......................................................................................... 24 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 24 
  Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 24 
  Working and employment ................................................................................ 26 
  Emergency measures .............................................................................. 26 
  Impact of the COVID-19 crisis ................................................................. 26 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Good practices and recommendations ............................................................. 28 
  Examples of good practice ...................................................................... 28 
  Recommendations ................................................................................... 28 
  Other relevant evidence ........................................................................... 28 

4 

 
 
 
 
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Executive summary 

Disability inclusivity of disaster and recovery planning 

The Portuguese government presented the Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026 
in October 2020, prioritising the areas of urgent intervention after the crisis produced 
by  the  pandemic.  The  plan  included  a  section  addressed  to  renovate  social  care 
facilities for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities. The Plan briefly 
mentions the changes needed in the sector, such as expanding the number of facilities 
to  assist  more users and adapting  existing  facilities  to the  current health  and digital 
context; improving social care provision and early intervention to promote autonomy 
and  prevent  institutionalisation;  and  improving  accessibility  to  enable  the  social 
inclusion of people with disabilities. It defines a budget of EUR 586 million that comes 
from the Next Generation EU and the Pluriannual Financial Plan.  

The government introduced other plans and measures in different pandemic stages to 
promote safe practices, prevent contagiousness among people with disabilities, and 
vulnerable groups, especially those living in residential facilities.  

The National Institute for Rehabilitation (INR) created a webpage in its portal in which 
guidelines and information regarding COVID-19 and persons with disabilities and their 
caregivers  are  made  available.  After  the  first  lockdown,  the  National  Institute  of 
Rehabilitation  also  published  guidelines  for  Occupational  Activity  Centres’  staff  and 
users, recommending a set of actions to avoid contagiousness among users and staff. 
Other guidelines developed by associations and organizations of and for people with 
disabilities are available on the website.   

Impact of the virus on mortality among people with disabilities 

There  is  no  official data  regarding  mortality  among  people  with  disabilities,  and  this 
impact is, therefore, not possible to analyse.  

Outline  of  key  concerns  about  a  disproportionately  negative  impact  of  the 
COVID-19 crisis on people with disabilities 

2. 

1.  Due to the pandemic, people with disabilities and their families and caregivers 
were  negatively  affected  by  the  suspension  or  activity  reduction  of  disability-
specific therapies and social care (including the independent living scheme).  
In  terms  of  employment,  it  was  also  clear  that  people  with  disabilities  were 
seriously  impacted  since  the  number  of  unemployed  persons  with  disabilities 
registered  in  employment  services  of  the  Institute  for  Employment  and 
Professional  Training  increased  by  10 %  during  the  first  semester  of  2020 
(compared to the number in December 2019).  
The  shift  to  distance  learning  did  not  fully  consider  the  needs  of  children  with 
disabilities  and  even  when  schools  resumed  in  September,  schools  were  still 
facing a lot of constraints and did not address properly and in a timely way the 
needs of many children with disabilities. They risk being left behind.  

3. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Examples of good practice 

1. 

2. 

The  Government  introduced  exceptional  and  temporary  measures  for  parents 
with  children  with  disabilities,  including  justification  of  absences  from  work  if 
motivated  by  unavoidable  assistance  to  a  child  or  other  dependent  under  12 
years of age, or, regardless of age, with disabilities or chronic illness, resulting 
from  the  suspension  of  teaching  and  non-teaching  activities  in  school  or  early 
childhood support equipment or disability. Employees and independent workers 
can access a subsidy: Two-thirds of the monthly salary for the first ones, and one-
third  of  the  income  registered  during  the  first  trimester  of  the  year  for  the  last 
ones. 
For citizens  with  hearing  impairments,  the  government prepared  information  in 
Portuguese  Sign  Language  on  prevention  and  care  to  be  taken  during  the 
pandemic and created a new channel with video call and chat options available 
in the national health system SNS24 line.   

3.  Social  responses  that  were  suspended  during  the  first  stage  of  the  pandemic 
such as the Occupational Activity Centres, were in charge of providing food to 
their most needed users.  

Recommendations and opportunities for change 

- 

- 

- 

Active  participation  of  people  with  disabilities  might  be  included  within  the 
Recovery  Planning  Strategies,  avoiding  people’s  inclusion  as  passive  citizens. 
Activating social and public networks at the community level can improve their 
independent  living  in  possible  emergency  cases,  find  support  in  their  closer 
communities,  and  get  other  citizens  involved  to  assist  people  with  disabilities 
and/or their families.  
Monitoring the pandemic impacts on persons with disabilities and their caregivers 
as  well  as  collecting  data  on  persons  with  disabilities  on  a  number  of  equality 
indicators (e.g. in education, employment, risk of poverty,…) in a systematic way. 
Without  disaggregated  data  it  is  hard  to  assess  needs  and  design  good  and 
effective policies. 
Alternatives  for  rehabilitation  activities  and  other  responses  that  affect  people 
with disabilities' social inclusion during an emergency state need to be improved. 
Protecting life in emergency cases needs to include dignity that guarantees the 
continuity of social inclusion processes.     

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Disability-inclusive disaster and recovery planning  

Article  11  –  Situations  of  risk  and  humanitarian  emergencies  &  Article  4(3)  – 
involvement of persons with disabilities 

  Commitments to disability in disaster management and recovery strategies 

In  November  2013,  Portugal  approved  the  National  Plan  for  Emergencies  and  Civil 
Protection.1 It included a set of actions to be activated in cases of natural disasters, 
such as earthquakes, fires, floods, among others. The Plan works as a guideline for 
the  Civil  Protection  National  Authority’s  operations  in  emergencies.  The  document 
mentions that people with disabilities, older people, children, and populations at risk 
will be evacuated first when an occurrence happens. However, they are not mentioned 
again  throughout  the  document.  Nonetheless,  it  includes  a  model  for  monitoring 
emergencies by training institutions and vulnerable populations in order to give them 
tools and information to save their lives and protect their goods. The Plan was activated 
on  24  March  2020  as  a  coordinating  mechanism,  facilitating  the  coordination  of 
activities among the responsible institutions in different territorial levels (local, regional, 
national).   

The Portuguese Government presented the Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-20262 
in October 2020, prioritising the areas of urgent intervention after the crisis created by 
the pandemic. The Plan included a section focusing on social responses to vulnerable 
populations,  including  persons  with  disabilities.  Although  the  Plan  contemplates  in 
detail the economic recovery strategy that will be developed, it only briefly mentions 
the changes in social provision it aims for. For persons with disabilities these changes 
include: 1) the expansion of the social care facilities network to cover larger numbers 
of users and the adaptation of existing facilities to the current health and digital context; 
2) the development of innovative and community-based services to promote autonomy 
and prevent institutionalization; and 3) the improvement of accessibility to ensure the 
inclusion of people with disabilities in social life.  

Furthermore,  after  the  first  lockdown,  General  recommendations  for  the  end  of  the 
lockdown  and  Orientations  for  the  Occupational  Activity  Centres  (CAO),3  were  also 
published. In that document, the government set up the conditions to be followed by 
these service providers to ensure the safety of staff and users. These included, among 
others: maintaining social distancing (by guaranteeing at least 1,5 mt. between users); 
use of outdoor activities; prohibition of contact between users in residential care and 
those in Occupational Activity Centres (when both social care services are located in 
the same building), a prohibition that also extended to caregivers, and professionals. 
That  meant  that  occupational  activities  were  provided  at  the  residence  facilities  for 
those  who  are  living  there.  Commuting  to  the  CAO  also  had  to  be  ensured  by  the 
families,  and  when  that  was  not  possible,  the  centre  should  arrange  a  way  of 
transporting their users that ensured protective measures.   

1  National Plan for Emergencies and Civil Protection 

http://www.prociv.pt/bk/RISCOSPREV//Documents/Componentes_p%C3%BAblicas.pdf.  

2   Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026 https://www.portugal.gov.pt/download-

ficheiros/ficheiro.aspx?v=%3d%3dBQAAAB%2bLCAAAAAAABAAzNDAzNgMAAfd%2fsQUAAAA
%3d.  

3   Guidance for the Occupational Activity Centres Reopening 

https://www.inr.pt/documents/11309/284924/guiao_cao.pdf.  

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

The Directorate-General for Health (DGS) presented a draft version of the Health Plan 
Fall-Winter 2020-20214 to the Social and Economic Council and the National Health 
Council. The plan contemplates specific measures for groups at risk who are service 
users of social care services. Although the paper does not mention specifically persons 
with disabilities, it includes the measures that are to be taken in Residential Facilities 
for older people, and in the health care facilities of the National Network of Long-term 
Integrated Care (RNCCI). In both types of facilities there is a large number of persons 
with  disabilities.  These  measures  include:  1)  prioritizing  vaccination,  not  only  for 
COVID-19 but also for influenza; 2) preparing care units among the National Network 
of Long-term Integrated Care by guaranteeing isolation measures for users who are 
not in a serious condition and not required to be admitted to a hospital; 3) Testing users 
in the residence facilities.  

Specific measures for residential care facilities5 for older people include: 1) providing 
training and information for users and professionals; 2) improving access to individual 
protection  equipment;  3)  ensuring  the  availability  of  human  resources  to  provide 
external assistance when required by the facilities (due for example to an outbreak of 
COVID-19), through coordination among local health authorities, the Social Security 
Institute, and Civil Protection; and 4) in the situations of suspicious positive cases, the 
relocation of users to local facilities provided by the municipalities when residential care 
facilities  do  not  have  the  capacity  for  isolation  notably  through  the  support  of  the 
National Network of Long-Term Integrated Care to ensure home-based healthcare. 

Involvement  of  people  with  disabilities  in  disaster  management  and 
recovery strategies 

As  mentioned  above,  the  Guide  Health  and  Daily  Activities.  General  measures  of 
COVID-19 prevention and control for Persons with Disabilities was developed with the 
collaboration of several DPOs, representing different types of impairments. 

Furthermore,  the  National  Institute  of  Rehabilitation6  has  stated  that  to  develop  the 
extraordinary  measures  that  have  been  adopted  throughout  the  pandemic  the 
government  has  consulted  with  the  National  Confederation  of  Solidarity  Institutions, 
the Union of Portuguese Misericordias, the Union of Portuguese Mutualities, and the 
Portuguese  Cooperative  Confederation,  some  of  which  are  service  providers  for 
people with disabilities. 

  Disability 

impact  assessments  and 

research 

to 

inform  disaster 

management and recovery planning 

There  is  no  evidence  of  any  systematic  effort  to  develop  an  impact  assessment  or 
commission  research  concerning  the  situation  of  persons  with  disabilities  to  inform 
disaster and recovery planning on the part of the government or any public authorities. 
Moreover, the documents available regarding recovery planning and risk management 

4   Health Plan Fall-Winter 2020-2021 https://www.dgs.pt/documentos-e-publicacoes/plano-da-saude-

para-o-outono-inverno-2020-2021-pdf.aspx.  

5   Despacho No. 4097-B/2020 about Civil Protection National Authority’s Competences, and Social 

Security District Centre and Local Health Authorities and municipality cooperation in the context of 
the Emergency State https://dre.pt/web/guest/home/-/dre/131051270/details/maximized.  
6   Information provided through email by the National Institute of Rehabilitation in response to a 

written inquiry sent by the expert who prepared this report.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

are  not  oriented  to  discuss  differentiated  pandemic  impacts.  Nonetheless,  the 
document "Health and daily activities. General Prevention Measures and  Controlling 
COVID-19 for people with disabilities", mentioned before, does recognize that, due to 
the pandemic, people with disabilities were affected negatively by suspended services 
addressed to social inclusion and independent living. It points out that gaps between 
vulnerable groups and the general population have increased, especially those related 
to accessibility to health, information, communication, mobility, and care support.  

Nevertheless,  the  Disability  and  Human  Rights  Observatory  took  the  initiative  to 
develop  a  survey  on  the  impact  of  COVID-19  on  persons  with  disabilities  and  their 
caregivers, and the data was made publicly available through the ODDH website and 
the  media.7  The  Federation  of  Associations  of  Cerebral  Palsy  has  also  produced  a 
regular Barometer on the impact of COVID on persons with cerebral palsy.8 

  Use of disaster management and recovery planning funds 

According  to  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  2021-2026,  the  renovation  and 
expansion  of  the  network  of  social  care  services  is  one  of  the  actions  proposed  to 
respond to the pandemic crisis, as well as the improvement of accessibility for people 
with disabilities. The Plan indicates a budget of EUR 3.504 million to address Social 
Vulnerabilities in general, of which EUR 45 million are to be dedicated to improving 
accessibility, EUR 35 million to fight poverty and social exclusion, and EUR 85 million 
to conclude the Mental Health Reform. 

7   Disability and COVID-19. Results of a study made with people with disabilities and caregivers. 
http://oddh.iscsp.ulisboa.pt/index.php/pt/2013-04-24-18-50-23/publicacoes-dos-investigadores-
oddh/item/483-relatorio-oddh-2020.  

8   http://www.fappc.pt/.  

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Mortality connected to COVID-19 among people with disabilities 

Article 10 – The right to life 

  Are  official  statistics  available  concerning  the  overall  mortality  rate  of 

people with disabilities?  

There is no data available. According to the last report of 20209 issued by the National 
Institute of Statistics, between 2 March 2020, the date on which the first cases with 
COVID-19 were diagnosed in Portugal, and 27 December 2020, 99 356 deaths were 
registered in the national territory, 12 852 more deaths than the average in the same 
period over the last five years. Of these excess deaths, 52.0 % (6 677) were caused 
by COVID-19. Of the total deaths from 2 March to 27 December, 49 453 were men and 
49 903 women (5 833 and 7 019 deaths more, respectively, than the average number 
of deaths in the same period of 2015-2019). 

More  than  70 % of  deaths  were  of  people aged  75  years or over. Compared to  the 
average observed in the same period of 2015-2019, 10 886 more people aged 75 and 
older  died,  of  which  another  8 038  were  aged  85  and  older.  The  data  is  not 
disaggregated  by  disability,  and  the  General  Directorate  for  Health,  the  agency 
producing these statistics, has never commented on that absence. 

  Are official statistics available concerning the mortality rate of people with 
disabilities who have died from complications connected to COVID-19? 

No  data  is  available  concerning  how  many  people  with  disabilities  have  died  from 
complications connected to COVID-19 during the period of the pandemic. 

No data is available of all people who died from complications connected to COVID-
19 during the period of the pandemic, what proportion were people with disabilities. 

No  data  is available  concerning  the  place  of  death  of  people  with  disabilities  with  a 
confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. 

No data is available concerning the place of residence of people with disabilities that 
have died with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. 

See also section 3.1 above.  

9 

https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_destaques&DESTAQUESdest_boui=47195
2633&DESTAQUESmodo=2.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Access to health 

Article 25 – Health 

  Emergency measures 

There  are  no  criteria  set  up  using  disability,  age  status  or  living  arrangements  to 
prioritise  entitlement  to  healthcare.  However,  there  is  some  guidance  concerning 
access to healthcare for people living in institutions (including older people and people 
with disabilities). Through Guidance 09/202010 updated on 23 July 2020, issued by the 
General-Directorate for Health, the government defined the measures  that are to be 
implemented  in  all  types  of  residential  facilities  (for  children  and  youngsters  at  risk, 
persons with disabilities and the elderly) to reduce the risk of contagiousness, including 
visits  regulations  (which  were  initially  suspended  and  then  allowed  for  only  one  per 
week  before  being  suspended  again  due to  the  COVID-19 third  wave). Besides  the 
implementation  of  hygienic  protocols  regarding  surfaces  and  materials  used  by 
residents,  the  Guidance  included  a  set  of  social  distancing  recommendations  and 
limitations of the number of people in shared spaces. Moreover, the Guidance orders 
institutions to create and implement Contingency Plans for suspicious cases to prevent 
other  residents  and  professionals  from  getting  the  virus.  These  plans  must  include 
protocols  for  isolation,  and  the  institutions  need  to  provide  a  physical  space  for 
isolation,  guaranteeing  health  services  and  food  provision  in  place.  If  the  infected 
resident does not need to be admitted to a hospital, he/she will stay in the isolation 
place,  and  receive  care  from  assigned  professionals.  Otherwise,  the  placement  of 
residents in other health facilities needs to be coordinated with local health authorities.  

Also,  institutions  must  undertake  COVID-19  testing  in  place.  If  a  suspicious  case  is 
confirmed, professionals and residents who were in contact with the person in the last 
14 days will be tested. The Guidance mentioned that testing aims to identify cases and 
isolate them, avoiding a chain of contagious. The procedure for positive cases is to 
contact the local health authority, informing the local government or the Social Security 
representative, and defining the strategy for isolation or relocation if needed.  

Through Order No. 259/2021 of 8 January 2021,11 the government recently introduced 
regular testing in residential facilities for older people and persons with disabilities, both 
for residents and the staff, recognising the increased vulnerability of these groups. The 
Order  further  states  that  deaths  occurring  within  the  institutions  will  be  considered 
COVID-19-caused if they presented any symptom related to the virus until a negative 
test proves the contrary. 

  Access to hospital treatment for COVID-19 

There  is  no  data  available.  There  has  never  been  a  policy  in  Portugal  prioritising 
specific groups in what regards access to hospital treatment. During waves 1 and 2 
things  were  pretty  much  under  control  in  terms  of  access  to  health  care  but  during 
wave 3 (especially at the end of January 2021 and beginning of February) the number 
of  infected  people  in  Portugal  was  extremely  high  and  long  queues  of  ambulances 

10   Guidance 09/2020, General Directorate for Health. https://www.dgs.pt/directrizes-da-

dgs/orientacoes-e-circulares-informativas/orientacao-n-0092020-de-11032020-pdf.aspx.  

11   Decree-Order (Despacho) No. 259/2021 https://dre.pt/application/file/a/153337406.  

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

were waiting in front of major hospitals just to get admitted to ER. However, there is no 
evidence of people with disabilities getting less care than others. 

  Treatment for COVID-19 in congregate settings 

Although  information  regarding  the  number  of  people  with  disabilities  treated  in 
residential facilities is not available, the Government did provide in-house treatment for 
people living in residential facilities through the Decree-Order No. 4959/202012 issued 
on  24  April  2020.  According  to  this  Order,  residents  with  COVID-19  whose  health 
situation does not require hospitalisation receive care within the residential facility with 
the support of healthcare professionals from the Local Health Authorities. In Portugal 
large numbers of persons with disabilities live in residential facilities for older people.  

  Public health promotion and testing during the pandemic  

The  government  published the  report  Health  literacy  and  COVID-19:  Plan,  practice, 
and  challenges.13  The  document  introduces  the  Portuguese  government  strategy  of 
communication and health literacy in the context of COVID-19. It is part of the actions 
implemented  to  promote  social  awareness  about  the  behaviours  that  the  general 
population  should  adopt  to  promote  and  maintain  good  health  in  times  of  the 
pandemic. Even though the report does not mention people with disabilities (nor other 
groups), it highlights the importance of using several communication channels to reach 
the entire population. It also points out that access to good quality information on health 
literacy is one of the main concerns to succeed in the control of the disease. 

The  National  Institute  for  Rehabilitation14  created  a  new  webpage  in  its  portal  on 
COVID-19 and persons with disabilities. The webpage provides general information on 
COVID-19, such as the government current regulations and measures for the general 
population as well as health recommendations issued by the General Directorate for 
Health and useful contacts. One of these contacts is the video call service channel on 
the  national  Health  Service  24h  line  with  easy  access  for  citizens  with  hearing 
impairment. The  webpage  also provides  specific recommendations for persons  with 
different  types  of  impairments  (physical,  visual,  and  hearing  impairments,  rare 
diseases, psychosocial disabilities, and cerebral palsy) including information provided 
in easy-to-read format and Sign Language. In some cases (for persons with cerebral 
palsy,  and  rare  diseases),  the  site  provides  a  link  to  dedicated  guides,  which  were 
developed  by  the  two  concerned  disability  organisations  –  the  Federation  of 
Portuguese Associations of Cerebral Palsy15 and the National Association of Mental 
and Rare Disabilities (Rarrissimas).16 

The  website  further  includes  a  Guide  on  COVID-19  and  Persons  with  Disabilities, 
developed  by  the  State  Secretary  for  the  Inclusion  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  in 
collaboration  with  the  National  Institute  for  Rehabilitation  (INR),  a  Higher  Education 

12   Decree-Order No. 4959/2020 https://dre.pt/application/file/a/132434115.  
13   Health literacy and COVID-19, Plan, practice, and challenges https://www.dgs.pt/documentos-e-

publicacoes/literacia-em-saude-e-a-covid-19-plano-pratica-e-desafios-pdf.aspx.  

14   https://www.inr.pt/informacoes-especificas. 
15   Recomendações para pessoas com paralisia cerebral, as suas famílias e os seus amigos, em 

contexto da COVID-19. Available at (Microsoft Word - 2020.03.27 FAPPC - COVID-19, 
orienta\347\365es para as fam\355lias). 

16   Information for People with mental and rare disabilities and their caregivers available at 091c4c5b-

d46e-4fec-a4a0-1bb251acf1c2 (inr.pt). 

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

institution  and  several  DPOs.17  The  brochure  entitled  Health  and  Daily  Activities. 
General measures of COVID-19 prevention and control for Persons with Disabilities 
recognizes the differentiated impact of the pandemic on people with disabilities offering 
a  general  description  of  the  illness  and  its  symptoms  in  an  accessible  language.  It 
provides  guidance  for  persons  with  disabilities,  their  caregivers,  professionals,  and 
public servants on COVID-19 prevention and control for persons with different types of 
impairments; the guide is available as an e-book, but also in an easy-to-read format 
and as a video with Sign Language translation.  

Moreover, for citizens with hearing impairments, the government prepared information 
in Portuguese sign language on prevention and care to be taken during the pandemic 
and created a new channel with video call and chat options available in the National 
Health System 24h line.18 

On the 8 January 2021, the Government introduced Order-Decree 259/2021,19 which 
established  the  realisation  of  COVID-19  tests  within  residential  facilities  for  older 
people,  long-term  integrated  care  facilities,  and  other  facilities  for  people  with 
disabilities. It aims the early identification of new cases to break contagious chains. 

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on access to health services for general or 
pre-existing physical or mental health conditions 

The Disability and Human Rights Observatory conducted a study20 on the impact of 
COVID-19 on people with disabilities and their caregivers. It collected information on 
two phases of the pandemic: during the first lockdown (April-May 2020) and October 
2020,  when most  activities  had  resumed. The two  online  questionnaires  gathered 1 
051  responses:  725  in  the  first  wave  and  326  in  the  second.  Data  collected  in  the 
second wave showed that many healthcare services continued suspended or had only 
been  partially  resumed:  such  as  physiotherapy  (56,7 %),  speech  therapy  (46,8 %), 
occupational  therapy  (62.3 %),  medical  appointments  (52.8  %)  and  nursing  care 
(45.3 %). Respondents also evaluated how accessible the information was provided 
by  the  Directorate-National  for  Health  and  the  majority  found  the  information 
accessible: 79.8 % in the first, and 69.1 % in the second wave. 

For the mental health sector, the Government issued the Norm 011/2020, on 18 April 
2020. This norm established how mental health services should respond to users with 
COVID-19  and  more  broadly  to  the  pandemic  situation,  including  a  model  of 
intervention for mental health providers during the pandemic and measures to protect 
users  and  professionals  (such  as  providing  remote  assistance,  organising  teams  in 
small groups to diminish the risk of contagiousness, etc.). The intervention model is 
based  on  principles  of  emergency  and  disaster  intervention  (as  per  Despacho  N0. 
7059/2018) and targets users of psychiatric services, including children and teenagers. 
It involves reducing the number of in-person appointments, the promotion of distance-
support, the reorganisation of human resources in shifts to reduce the risk of contagion 
and places a particular emphasis on people with most severe mental health conditions. 

17  Manual Covid para Pessoas com Deficiência - INR, I.P. 
18   https://www.sns24.gov.pt/contacto-acessivel-cidadao-surdo/.  
19   Decree-Order (Despacho) No. 259/2021 https://dre.pt/application/file/a/153337406.  
20   Disability and COVID-19. Results of a study made with people with disabilities and caregivers. 
http://oddh.iscsp.ulisboa.pt/index.php/pt/2013-04-24-18-50-23/publicacoes-dos-investigadores-
oddh/item/483-relatorio-oddh-2020.  

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Besides, the norm suggested isolation of at least seven days for suspicious cases of 
COVID-19 in new patients admitted. Unfortunately, there is no data available on how 
these measures affected people with psychosocial disabilities. 

  Vaccination programmes 

The vaccination plan21 published by the General Directorate for Health contemplates 
in  its  first  phase,  which  started  in  December 2020,  the  vaccination  of  residents  and 
staff  of  residential  care  facilities  for  older  people  and  similar  institutions  (including 
residential facilities for persons with disabilities) and long-term integrated care facilities. 
Still in the first phase, and starting in February 2021, vaccines should also prioritise 
people  older  than  80  years  and  people  older  than  50  years  who  have  any  of  the 
following pathologies: 

● 
● 
● 
● 
● 

Cardiac insufficiency 
Coronary heart disease 
Renal insufficiency 
Chronic respiratory illness on ventilatory support 
Long-term oxygen therapy 

On 1 March 2021, the General Director for Health announced that persons with Down 
Syndrome aged 16 and over will be prioritised in access to vaccination.22 It is estimated 
there are around 3 500 persons in this group in Portugal. 

The  second  phase of the  vaccination  plan  will start in  April 2021, and  it  will include 
persons 65+ who have not been vaccinated yet, and persons aged 50-64 years old 
with any of the following pathologies:  

Diabetes 
Active malignant neoplasm 
Chronic kidney disease (Glomerular Filtration Rate> 60ml / min) 
Liver failure 
Arterial hypertension 

● 
● 
● 
● 
● 
●  Obesity 
●  Other  pathologies  with  less  prevalence  may  be  defined  later,  depending  on 

scientific knowledge 

The third phase will include the rest of the population.  

Recently, the Association for Independent Living (Associação Vida Independente) sent 
a request23 to the government to include people with disabilities with cardiac conditions 
and their caregivers within the first stage of the vaccination plan, regardless of living in 
a residential facility or their age. There is a petition going on in the country asking for 
the subject to be discussed in the national parliament. 

21   Vaccination plan https://covid19.min-saude.pt/vacinacao/.  
22   https://www.publico.pt/2021/03/01/sociedade/noticia/pessoas-trissomia-21-entram-grupos-

prioritarios-vacinacao-covid19-1952613.  

23   https://expresso.pt/coronavirus/2021-03-03-Associacoes-pedem-vacinacao-de-pessoas-com-

deficiencia-e-cuidadores.  

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Income and access to food and essential items 

Article 28 – Adequate standard of living and social protection  

  Emergency measures  

On the 13 March 2020, the Government introduced the Decree-Law 10A/2020,24 which 
included exceptional and temporary measures related to the pandemic. Specifically, 
for parents  with  children  with disabilities,  the  decree-law  states  that  “absences from 
work are justified if motivated by unavoidable assistance to a child or other dependent 
under 12 years of age, or, regardless of age, with disabilities or chronic illness, that 
arise due to the suspension of teaching and non-teaching activities in schools or early 
childhood  support  facilities  or  disability  service-provider”.  The  law  also  defined  that 
parents can access a subsidy that is equivalent to two-thirds of the monthly salary for 
employees, and one-third of the income registered during the first trimester of the year 
for independent workers. 

While  schools  and  disability-service  providers,  such  as  the  Occupational  Activity 
Centres (CAO), suspended their activities from 16 March to 18 May 2020, and again 
from 14 January 2021, they are required to ‘ensure food support for their users in need’.  

4.2 

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis  

The results of the second wave survey conducted by the Observatory of Disability and 
Human Rights show that 67.7 % of the participants stated that since the beginning of 
the  pandemic  they  felt  an  increased  concern  about  a  possible  worsening  of  their 
economic situation, against only 32.3 % (n = 102) who replied that they were not or a 
little worried. 

24   Exceptional and temporary measures related to the epidemiological situation of the new 

Coronavirus - COVID 19 https://dre.pt/home/-/dre/130243053/details/maximized.  

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Access to transportation and the public spaces 

Article 9 – Accessibility  

  Emergency measures 

The guideline Health and daily activities. General Prevention Measures and Controlling 
COVID-19  for  people  with  disabilities25  provides  some  guidance  for  people  with 
physical  and  visual  disabilities  when  using  public  transport.  Since  they  may  need 
assistance or help from other people, it calls attention to the implementation of proper 
hygiene measures to avoid contagiousness. 

The  guide for Occupational Activity  Centres (CAO)26  states that  each  centre  should 
provide transportation services for users whose parents cannot ensure transportation 
of their children to the centre. This service shall be supplied by the CAO or another 
agency  in  a  partnership  fulfilling  the  conditions  imposed,  such  as  social  distancing, 
vehicle cleaning, alcohol solution providing, and mask use during the commute despite 
exceptions.  

During  the  first  lockdown  some  exceptions  of  traveling  were  allowed,  including 
commutes  for  assisting  people  with  disabilities,  among  other  groups.  The  last 
emergency state declaration, which started on 25 January 2021 and is now extended 
until  11  March  2021,  limits  commutes  between  municipalities  during  the  weekends, 
allowing only for special situations, such as assisting someone.  

4.3 

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis 

No information is available about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on access to (and 
the  accessibility  of)  transportation  and  the  public  realm  for  people  with  disabilities 
besides some testimonies collected through the study conducted by the Disability and 
Human Rights Observatory. These pointed to the particular difficulties that arose from 
the lockdown situation for persons with intellectual impairments and impairments in the 
autism spectrum, due to disrupted routines and the impossibility of leaving the house. 

25   Health and daily activities. General Prevention Measures and Controlling COVID-19 for people with 

disabilities 
https://www.inr.pt/documents/11309/323112/Guia+Sa%C3%BAde+e+Atividades+di%C3%A1rias/6
7388027-40d5-458d-9824-29302a493811.  

26   Guidance for the Occupational Activity Centres Reopening 

https://www.inr.pt/documents/11309/284924/guiao_cao.pdf.  

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Involuntary detention or treatment 

Article 14 – Liberty and security of person 
Article 15 – Freedom of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 
Article 16 – Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse 
Article 17 – Protecting the integrity of the person 

  Emergency measures 

Visits to residential facilities for older people, people with disabilities and children and 
youth at risk were suspended from 13 March to 15 May 2020 and resumed after that 
period but with many restrictions. As per the General Directorate for Health statement 
011/2020,27 issued on 11 May 2020, only one visit per week per person was allowed, 
for no longer than 90 minutes, and the facility management had to keep a registry of 
the  visitors,  who  needed  to  set-up  the  visit  in  advance,  as  well  as  to  ensure  social 
distancing between visitors and residents (which sometimes involved installing a glass 
wall  between  them),  and  provide  for  hygienic  supplies  for  visitors  and  residents. 
Moreover, local health authorities were entitled to suspend visits when an outbreak in 
the facility was identified.  

The  General-Directorate  for  Health’s  Orientation  009/2020,  of  11  March  202028 
onwards, stipulated a mandatory isolation of 14 days for new residents of residential 
facilities and support facilities for people with disabilities, children and young people at 
risk, and required a negative test for COVID-19. The same orientation also mentioned 
that people who had to leave the facility for medical purposes for less than 24 hours 
did not need to test for COVID-19, but they were required to stay isolated for 14 days. 
This rule had the consequence of preventing people with disabilities living in residential 
facilities to take part in social life (such as attending university, or just going outside for 
a  walk).  Those  measures  were  modified  on  the  21  November  2020,29  when  the 
General-Directorate for Health announced the removal of isolation measures for new 
residents  and  active  residents  who  develop  activities  outside  the  centre.  However, 
since the 14 January 2021 the country is on total lockdown and visits were suspended 
again.  

The Norm 011/2020,30 on 18 April 2020, pointed out that mental health patients with 
COVID-19  who  are  admitted  to  a  general  hospital  for  COVID-19  related  treatment 
should  be  assessed  daily,  by  a  psychiatrist.  If  the  person  is  considered  a  high-risk 
patient, self-aggressive or aggressive against others, or shows a tendency for leaving 
the hospital, the Norm states that the team can consider imposing any of the following 
measures: 1) A video surveillance room and locked door; 2) physical restraint; and 3) 
other therapeutic measures, such as electroconvulsive therapy. It also mentions that 
all psychiatric assessments should continue to be sent to the courts, as determined by 
the Mental Health Law, in case of compulsory internment.      

27   https://www.dgs.pt/normas-orientacoes-e-informacoes/informacoes/informacao-n-0112020-de-

11052020-pdf.aspx.  

28   https://www.dgs.pt/directrizes-da-dgs/orientacoes-e-circulares-informativas/orientacao-n-0092020-

de-11032020-pdf.aspx.  

29   https://www.dgs.pt/normas-orientacoes-e-informacoes/orientacoes-e-circulares-

informativas/orientacao-n-009-a2020-de-07092020-pdf.aspx.  

30   Saude mental, Norm 011/2020 https://saudemental.covid19.min-saude.pt/wp-

content/uploads/2020/09/i026285.pdf.  

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis 

According to the National Institute of Rehabilitation,31 the pandemic did not produce 
changes  concerning  the  number  of  users  living  in  the  residential  facilities,  and  the 
Long-Term  Integrated  Care  Network's  supports  were  not  interrupted.  Nonetheless, 
measures adopted, especially during the first stage of the pandemic and after the first 
lockdown,  affected  users  by  preventing  them  from  developing  education  and 
rehabilitation  activities  and  other  social  inclusion  activities,  basically  because  of  the 
imposition of a 14-day quarantine after leaving the residential facilities for less than a 
day.  

31   Information provided by email through the questionnaire sent by the expert. 

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Violence, exploitation or abuse 

Article 16 – Freedom from violence, exploitation and abuse  

  Emergency measures 

During  the  first  semester  the  government  announced  a  set  of  new  measures  for 
improving  responses  toward  victims  of  domestic  violence,32  by  strengthening  the 
capacity of the National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence (RNAVVD), 
through: 

1)   The  adoption  of  contingency  plans  and  action  plans  in  the  RNAVVD  service 
structures with urgent measures (reinforcement of the means of communication 
and assistance, monitoring the situations more regularly, face-to-face assistance 
in  urgent  cases,  close  articulation  with  other  services  and  municipalities  to 
respond to urgent reception needs). 

2)   Designating a team for urgent situations and requests and monitoring the cases 

more regularly. 

3)   Establishing  partnerships  to  guarantee  the  supply  of  essential  goods  and 
resources and the donation of computer equipment to the RNAVVD structures 
during  the  emergency  and  calamity  period.  Two  new  temporary  emergency 
facilities, with vacancies for 100 people, have already been announced. 

The  government  also  implemented  actions  for  providing  information  for  social 
awareness of the increased risks of violence and about support services and channels 
available for asking for help. It also promoted the coordination, and close monitoring 
carried  out  by  the  CIG  (Commission  for  Citizenship  and  Gender  Equality)  with  the 
victim support services network.  

Although there is no official register on violence cases against people with disabilities, 
the  National  Institute  of  Rehabilitation33  stated  that  13  channels  are  available  to 
communicate violence against people with disabilities and ask for support. No special 
measures  regarding  violence  were  implemented.  However,  the  Commission  for 
Citizenship and Gender Equality34 promoted a campaign to prevent domestic violence 
during  the  lockdown,  providing  information  about  hotlines,  including  one  for 
psychological  counselling  and  two  for  mental  health,  one  for  adults,  and  one  for 
children and young people.     

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis 

According to the last report of domestic violence cases,35 during 2020, the number of 
cases of violence reported and assisted via telephone increased 33 % compared with 
2019.  The  statistics  provided  by  the  Republican  National  Guard  and  the  Police  for 
Public Security show that the number of prisoners due to domestic violence increased 

32 

https://www.portugal.gov.pt/download-ficheiros/ficheiro.aspx?v=%3d%3dBQAAAB%2bLCAAAAAA
ABAAzNDCwMAAATfdlvwUAAAA%3d. 
33   Personal communication, 5 February 2021. 
34   https://www.cig.gov.pt/portal-violencia-domestica/covid-19-seguranca-isolamento/.  
35 

https://www.portugal.gov.pt/download-ficheiros/ficheiro.aspx?v=%3d%3dBQAAAB%2bLCAAAAAA
ABAAzNDQ2NwIAklMJbAUAAAA%3d. 

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

11 % compared to 2019. Nonetheless, the number of victims hosted by the National 
Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence decreased by 15.7 % during 2020, 
which means that 1 399 victims were hosted by the RNAVVD (809 women and 590 
children). There are no statistics about disability.  

20 

 
 
 
 
 
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

Independent living  

Article 19 – Living independently and being included in the community 

  Emergency measures 

No emergency measures were adopted to support independent living and inclusion in 
the  community.  The  government  launched  the  third  generation  of  the  Program  to 
Extend the Network of Social Care Facilities (PARES) on 15 October 2020, an ongoing 
program  not  specifically  related  to  COVID-19.  This  program  addresses  non-
governmental  organisations  that  provide  social  care.  It  aims  to  strengthen  the 
capacities  of  existing  social  care  provision  for  people  with  disabilities,  children  and 
youth, and older people. However, the facilities prioritized by the program related to 
disability  are  mostly  oriented  to  increase  the  number  of  Occupational  Centres  and 
residential care facilities, even when the CRPD Committee has recommended to the 
Portuguese State to strengthen investments towards supporting independent living. 

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis 

The National Institute for Rehabilitation (INR)36 has pointed out that the independent 
living  programme  (Modelo  de  Apoio  à  Vida  Independente)  was  never  interrupted 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the emergency state declaration, the 
number  of  individualised  plans  for  personal  assistance  decreased,  in  some  cases 
because users asked for the suspension of services, and in other cases because the 
personal  assistants  were  forced  to  stay  home  to  take  care  of  their  own  children. 
Individual plans decreased during March and April 2020; nonetheless, according to the 
INR, by August 2020 the number of active plans was higher than in February 2020, 
and  since  then,  they  have  tended  to  increase.  However,  the  INR  expects  again  a 
decreasing number of active plans during the current lockdown in 2021.37  

As mentioned before, the Disability and Human Rights Observatory conducted a study 
on the impact of the pandemic for people with disabilities and their caregivers. In the 
first wave, 62 % of the respondents were found to need personal assistance. Of those, 
33.2 %  said  that  the  support  services  had  been  suspended  or  time  reduced.  The 
situation  was  better  in  the  second  wave.  The  number  of  respondents  who  needed 
personal assistance  was  34.4  %,  and  just  7.4  %  of  them  reported that  the  services 
remained suspended, while 55.6 % reported that the services were never suspended. 
For 37 % of the respondents in the second wave the services had resumed partially or 
totally. In relation to other home support services. 16.7 % reported that they remained 
suspended, while 50 % reported that the services never suspended the activities, while 
25 % and 8.3 % pointed out that the services resumed partially or totally, respectively.  

The  results  of  the  second  wave  of  the  survey  also  showed  that  67.7  %  of  the 
participants reported feeling an increased concern about a possible worsening of their 
economic situation since the beginning of the pandemic, against only 32.3 % (n = 102) 
who replied that they were not worried or just a little worried. 

36  Information provided by email through the questionnaire sent by the expert. 
37   Information provided by email through the questionnaire sent by the expert. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Access to habilitation and rehabilitation 

Article 26 – Habilitation and rehabilitation 

  Emergency measures 

The special measures adopted by the Government and announced in the Decree-Law 
10A/202038  on  13  March  2020,  included  the  suspension  of  the  activities  of  the 
Occupational Activity Centres (CAO). The suspension was extended until the 18 May 
2020,39 when the Government informed new measures and lifted the suspension for 
some  social  care  services.  Consequently,  the  Government  prepared  and  published 
guidelines addressing specifically the activities of Occupational Activity Centres. Those 
guidelines established that the participation of persons with disabilities in daily activities 
depended on a medical assessment and the infrastructural conditions of each centre. 
These include: 1) the possibility to ensure social distancing by guaranteeing at least 
1,5  mt.  between  users;  2)  outdoor  activities;  3)  no  contact  of  CAO’s  users  with 
residential  facilities  users,  caregivers,  and  professionals  when  both  social  care 
services  occupy  the  same  building,  which  meant  that  users  of  both  services  were 
required  to  develop  occupational  activities  at  the  residential  facility.  In  addition, 
professionals  were  required  to  re-evaluate  individual  plans  and  modify  them  if  they 
were not feasible to carry on in the pandemic context. Furthermore, the activities had 
to be re-structured to be carried out either individually or developed in small groups. 

  Impact of COVID-19 and/or emergency measures adopted 

The study conducted by the Disability and Human Rights Observatory found out that, 
in  the  first  wave,  40.1 %  of  respondents  reported  that  some  habilitation  and 
rehabilitation services and facilities services were suspended or partially suspended, 
including therapies (75.5 %). They also pointed out the closure of Occupational Activity 
Centres (10.1 %). Nonetheless, 32.3 % said that the services they required and used 
did not suspend activities. 

In the second wave, 17 % of the respondents indicated that the Occupational Activity 
Centre they attended remained closed in October, while 50 % reported that their CAO 
had fully resumed activities. Regarding physiotherapy services 34.4 % reported that 
they went back to activity, while for 33.3 % they continued suspended. 31.4 % of the 
respondents  also  reported  that  speech  therapies  had  fully  resumed,  21 %  that  they 
were  never  suspended.  However,  for  24 %  of  the  participants  speech  therapies 
remained suspended, and for 23 % of them they had only resumed partially. Similarly, 
for 34 % of the participants occupational therapies remained suspended, for 27.4 % 
they had resumed partially, while for 26.6 % they had fully resumed.   

In short, throughout 2020 there was a significant impact in terms of access to needed 
habilitation  and  rehabilitation  services  for  persons  with  disabilities  due  to  the 
requirements of the pandemic that imposed a total lockdown of these services for a 
certain period, and measures to avoid contagion such as social distancing and staff 
shifts reducing the numbers of users that services could take in at any time.  

38  https://dre.pt/application/file/a/130251721.  
39  Decree-Law 22/2020 https://dre.pt/application/file/a/133880187.  

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COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Access to justice  

Article 13 - Access to justice  

  Emergency measures 

The Norm 011/2020,40 issued on the 18 April 2020, established measures related to 
mental health and mentioned that all the psycho-clinic assessments were going to be 
evaluated  by  the  courts  as  determined  by  the  Law  of  Mental  Health,  in  cases  of 
voluntary or compulsive internment.  

  Impact of COVID-19 crisis 

Courts also suspended their activity or reduced the pace at which they were working. 
Court  cases  related  to  the  Adult  Support  Law41  (former  Capacity  Law)  have  been 
extremely  delayed.  Young  adults  turning  18  years  old  and  with  more  complex 
impairments, who are not able to open a bank account in their own name, became thus 
prevented from receiving the Social Inclusion Benefit (a disability benefit which is paid 
by Social Security through a wire transfer to a bank account). To get the benefit, they 
would need a measure of support to have someone designated by the court to open 
the  bank  account  on  their  behalf.  To  respond  to  this  blockage,  Social  Security  has 
allowed the benefit to be collected by a parent, provided that it is shown that a claim 
for a support measure has been submitted to the court. 

40   Mitigation phase. https://www.dgs.pt/directrizes-da-dgs/normas-e-circulares-normativas/norma-n-

0112020-de-18042020-pdf.aspx. 

41   Law 49/2018 available at https://dre.pt/home/-/dre/116043536/details/maximized.  

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Access to education  

Article 24 – Education 

  Emergency measures 

Exceptional  and  temporary  measures42  included  the  suspension  of  all  current  in-
person  activities  in  schools  and  social  care  services  for  children  and  people  with 
disabilities and the closure of centres for vocational training of the National Institute for 
Employment  and  Vocational  Training.  Higher  education  institutions  could  provide 
online teaching after presenting a plan to the competent authority. The first measures 
started on the 16 March 2020.  

  Impact of the COVID-19 crisis 

The  Disability  and  Human  Rights  Observatory  study  on  Disability  and  COVID-1943 
included  a  section  about  access  to  education.  In  the  first  wave,  20.7 %  of  the 
respondents were attending school (aged between 6 to 18 years old, and they were all 
taking classes online. In the second wave, 19.6 % were students and  most of them 
were having in-person classes (57.8 %), although for some online classes continued 
(6.3 %), and some were in a mixed-model (31.3 %). In general, in both waves it was 
found that students’ and parents’ perceptions of education services was negative. In 
the first wave, 77.1 % reported that the adaptations for students with disabilities were 
little or not suitable at all. In the second wave, 64.7 % reported a similar appraisal. 

In the first wave, 10.3 % of the respondents were higher education students and 69.3 % 
of  them  evaluated  adaptations  introduced  by  universities  negatively,  while  in  the 
second  wave,  66.7  %  of  the  respondents  said  that  the  measures  implemented  by 
institutions were adequate and suitable for people with disabilities.  

Some  of  the  testimonies  collected  in  the  Disability  and  Human  Rights  Observatory 
study suggested that disability-specific supports for online teaching arrived late. Only 
on 8 April 2020 (the schools closed in March) the General-Directorate for Education 
published  some  general  guidelines  to  support  distance  learning  for  students  with 
disabilities.44 When the government initiated schooling activities through a dedicated 
TV channel there were also complaints regarding the very small space of the window 
on the screen for the Sign Language Translator. Moreover, the lack of computers and 
internet  access  may  also  have  prevented  children  with  disabilities  from  accessing 
properly distance learning activities, as they are more likely to belong to families at risk 
of  poverty  and  social  exclusion.  According  to  the  study,  40.4 %  of  the  participants 
needed a computer and 25.5 % did not have access to the internet. On July 2020, the 
Ministry  of  Education  announced  an  investment  of  EUR  400  million  to  support  the 
acquisition of computers for all students and teachers in compulsory education.45 In 

42   Decree-Law 10A/2020. https://dre.pt/application/file/a/130251721.  
43   Disability and COVID-19. Results of a study made with people with disabilities and caregivers. 
http://oddh.iscsp.ulisboa.pt/index.php/pt/2013-04-24-18-50-23/publicacoes-dos-investigadores-
oddh/item/483-relatorio-oddh-2020.  

44   https://apoioescolas.dge.mec.pt/sites/default/files/2020-

04/Orienta%C3%A7%C3%B5es_para_o_trabalho_das_Equipas_Multidisciplinares_de_Apoio%C3
%A0Educa%C3%A7%C3%A3o_Inclusiva_na_modalidade_E@D.pdf.  

45   Resolution of the Council of Ministers 53-E/2020, available at https://dre.pt/web/guest/home/-

/dre/138461850/details/maximized?serie=I&day=2020-07-20&date=2020-07-01.  

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

September 2020 the first computers and internet access keys started to be distributed, 
prioritising low-income families, but the process has been very slow since then – in the 
beginning of February 2021, when distance learning resumed, only 100 000 had been 
given to students and 355 000 families were still waiting for their computers to arrive.46 
There  is  no  mention  that  students  with  disabilities  are  prioritised  in  getting  the 
computers. 

46   https://observador.pt/2021/01/12/mais-de-335-mil-computadores-vao-comecar-a-chegar-as-

escolas-segundo-ministro-da-educacao/.  

25 

 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Working and employment  

Article 27 – Work and employment  

  Emergency measures 

The Ordinance 206/202047 issued on the 27 August 2020, introduced special measures 
related  to  employment.  This  measure  was  implemented  to  promote  the  inclusion  of 
young  people  in  the  labour  market,  and  to  provide  vocational  training  for  long-term 
unemployed people through an internships programme (Estagios ATIVAR.PT). These 
internships target all age groups including young people (up until 30 years of age), the 
long-term unemployed (above 31 years), and people over 45 years of age. Persons 
with disabilities are explicitly identified as beneficiaries of this measure (Article 3). The 
duration  of  the  internship  is 9  months for the  general population  and  12 months for 
specific groups, including persons with disabilities (Article 8). Interns are entitled to a 
monthly  individual  grant  (that  also  covers  insurance  and  food  subsidy)  and  a 
transportation subsidy (in the case of persons with disabilities) (Articles 11 and 12). If 
employers  provide  the  intern  a  permanent  employment  contract  within  a  maximum 
period of 20 working days from the end date of the internship, they are entitled to an 
award  (Prémio  ao  Emprego),  whose  amount  varies  and  can  reach  up  to  5xIAS 
(EUR 2 194,05) (or, until 30 June 2021, up to 7xIAS = EUR 3 071,67). 

By the same token, the Ordinance 207/202048 issued on the 27 August 2020, regulates 
the programme Incentivo ATIVAR.PT, which consists of granting financial support to 
employers that celebrate contracts with people who are registered as unemployed in 
the National Employment Institute (IEFP) according to specific criteria, including the 
length  of  the  unemployment  situation.  However,  regardless  of  the  duration  of 
unemployment, persons with disabilities are explicitly identified as beneficiaries of this 
measure (Article 6). The measure covers employment contracts without a term or, in 
specific  cases  such  as  persons  with  disabilities,  short-term  contracts,  provided  they 
have an initial duration of 12 months or more (Article 7). If an open-ended contract is 
celebrated, the financial support given to the employer is 12xIAS (EUR 5 265,72). If it 
is the case of a short-term contract, the financial support is 4xIAS (EUR 1 755,24). If 
hiring  a  person  with  a  disability,  the  amount  of  the  support  is  increased  by  10  % 
(Article 11).  In  the  event  of  conversion  from  a  short-term  contract  into  a  permanent 
contract, the employer is granted a conversion award, whose amount varies and can 
reach up to 5xIAS (EUR 2 194,05) (or, until 30 June 2021, up to 7xIAS = EUR 3 071,67) 
(Article 12). 

  Impact of the COVID-19 crisis 

Regarding  unemployment,  as  it  is  mentioned  by  the  Observatory  of  Disability  and 
Human Rights in its annual report People with disabilities in Portugal: Human Rights 
indicators 2020,49 the number of people with disabilities registered in the employment 
services of the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training increased by 10 % 

47   Ordinance 206/2020 of 27 August 2020. https://data.dre.pt/eli/port/206/2020/08/27/p/dre.  
48   Ordinance 207/2020 of 27 August 2020. https://data.dre.pt/eli/port/207/2020/08/27/p/dre.  
49   People with disabilities in Portugal. Human Rights indicators 2020. Observatory of Disability and 
Human Rights. University of Lisbon. http://oddh.iscsp.ulisboa.pt/index.php/pt/2013-04-24-18-50-
23/publicacoes-dos-investigadores-oddh/item/483-relatorio-oddh-2020.  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

just  during  the first  semester of 2020,  compared  to  the  global data from  2019. That 
suggests an evident negative impact of the pandemic on people with disabilities. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
COVID-19 and people with disabilities - Portugal 

  Good practices and recommendations  

  Examples of good practice 

Examples of good practice include: 

1.  The  Government  introduced  exceptional  and  temporary  measures  for  parents 
with  children  with  disabilities,  including  justification  of  absences  from  work  if 
motivated  by  unavoidable  assistance  to  a  child  or  other  dependent  under  12 
years of age, or, regardless of age, with disabilities or chronic illness, resulting 
from  the  suspension  of  teaching  and  non-teaching  activities  in  school  or  early 
childhood support equipment or disability. Employees and independent workers 
can access a subsidy: Two-thirds of the monthly salary for the first ones, and one-
third  of  the  income  registered  during  the  first  trimester  of  the  year  for  the  last 
ones. (Section 5. Income and access to food and essential items) 

2.  For citizens  with  hearing  impairments,  the  government prepared  information  in 
Portuguese  Sign  Language  on  prevention  and  care  to  be  taken  during  the 
pandemic and created a new channel with video call and chat options available 
in the national health system SNS24 line. (Section 4.4 Public health promotion 
and testing during the pandemic)  

3.  Social  responses  that  were  suspended  during  the  first  stage  of  the  pandemic 
such  as  the  Occupational  Activity  Centres  were  in  charge  of  providing  food  to 
their  most  needed  users  (Section  5.  Income and  access  to food and  essential 
items).  

  Recommendations 

Recommendations for disability-related reforms include: 

1.  Active  participation  of  people  with  disabilities  might  be  included  within  the 
Recovery  Planning  Strategies,  avoiding  their  inclusion  as  passive  citizens. 
Activating  social  and  public  networks  at  the  community  level  can  improve 
people’s  independent  living  in  possible  emergency  cases,  find  support  in  their 
closer  communities,  and  get  other  citizens  involved  to  assist  people  with 
disabilities and/or their families.  

2.  Monitoring  the  impacts  of  the  pandemic  on  persons  with  disabilities  and  their 
caregivers as well as collecting data on persons with disabilities on a number of 
equality  indicators  (e.g.  in  education,  employment,  risk  of  poverty,…)  in  a 
systematic  way.  Without  disaggregated  data  it  is  hard  to  assess  needs  and 
design good and effective policies. 

3.  Alternatives  for  rehabilitation  activities  and  other  responses  that  affect  people 
with disabilities' social inclusion during an emergency state need to be improved. 
Protecting life in emergency cases needs to include dignity that guarantees the 
continuity of social inclusion processes.     

  Other relevant evidence 

Not applicable.  

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In person 

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