Few health education materials reflect the lived experience of people with disabilities. 

Some people with disabilities are more likely to become infected with SARS-COV-2 or experience severe illness from COVID-19. Practices such as handwashing, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, wearing masks, and physical distancing are recommended non-pharmaceutical strategies for reducing severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Yet, there are few nationally available, audience-tested health promotion materials specifically designed to encourage and promote COVID-19 prevention practices among individuals with disabilities.

NORC tested newly developed COVID-19 prevention messages and materials tailored for individuals with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive, and self-care disabilities. 

NORC conducted mixed-methods research among U.S. adults with disabilities to test health education messages and materials related to four behaviors that can mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Using NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel, NORC conducted a survey among 497 U.S. adults with disabilities to assess attitudes, behaviors, and barriers related to COVID-19 prevention behaviors.

The research measured constructs from the Health Belief Model including perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived barriers to and self-efficacy with performing COVID-19 prevention behaviors. This survey also tested a series of message statements related to four COVID-19 prevention behaviors tailored to people with different disabilities (i.e., hearing, vision, mobility, cognitive, self-care).  Follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 individuals who participated in the survey to test related concepts. The research helped to ensure the health education messages were understandable, feasible, and motivating.