Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities - Learning Disability and Autism Research Group

This UK-wide project started in the Covid-19 pandemic, and listened to almost 1,000 people with learning disabilities, family members and support workers about the lives of people with learning disabilities through the pandemic. People gave us information about their lives at four different times, starting in the winter of 2020/21 and going through to the autumn of 2022.

The research team and collaborators were from all four parts of the UK, including the University of Bristol, Cardiff University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Kent, the National Development Team for Inclusion, University College Longon, the University of Ulster, the University of South Wales, All Wales People First, Learning Disability Wales, All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities, Scottish Commission for Learning Disability, Promoting a More Inclusive Society (PAMIS), Positive Futures, Mencap Northern Ireland, Learning Disability England, PMLD Link, Positive Futures, CAN Northern Ireland, Families Involved in Northern Ireland (FINI).

Lots of findings from the research project can be found here. This includes reports, easy read summaries and briefings, digital stories, and recording of a webinar that took place at the end of the project.

More short films from people with learning disabilities, family members and support staff about the project can be found here.

The findings of the research project were a major source of information for an expert report commissioned by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry for Module 6 (adult social care). This report was written by the two joint principal investigators of the project. Here are the links to the easy read report and full report, and film and transcripts of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry public hearing where this report was discussed.

Academic journal articles from the project include:

Cavanagh D, Caton S, Rawles, Hatton C, Hastings R & the Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities Study team (2025). Living through the COVID-19 pandemic: The experiences of people with profound and multiple intellectual disabilities through a family carer lens. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38(4), e70088.

Gillooly A, Thompson PA, Bradshaw J, Caton S, Hatton C, Jahoda A, Kelly R, Maguire R, Oloidi E, Taggart L, Todd S, the Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities Study Team & Hastings RP (early view). The mental health and well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic across the UK: A four-wave longitudinal analysis. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.70006

Rawles J, Caton S, Cavanagh D, Hatton C, Hastings RP & the Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities Study Team (2025). Three years on from “stay at home”: Perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities about the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38(4), e70076.

Thompson PA, Summers E, Caton S, Hayden N, Todd S, Oloidi E, Taggart L, Kelly R, Bradshaw J, Maguire R, Jahoda A, Hatton C & Hastings RP (2024). Wellbeing of family carers of adults with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: longitudinal study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 69(4), pp.265-273.

Bradshaw J, Maguire R, Gillooly A, Hatton C, Caton S, Jahoda A, Oloidi E, Taggart L, Todd S & Hastings R (2024). What could have helped people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities during COVID-19? Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 21(4), e70000.

Caton S, Hatton C, Bradshaw J, Jahoda A, Kelly R, Maguire R, Oloidi E, Taggart L, Todd S & Hastings RP (2024). (Not) Going Out; and barriers to leaving the house for people with intellectual disabilities through the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(6), e13302.

Hatton C, Hastings RP, Caton S, Bradshaw J, Jahoda A, Kelly R, Maguire R, Oloidi E, Taggart L, Todd S & Coronavirus and people with learning disabilities study team (2024). Health and healthcare of people with learning disabilities in the UK through the COVID-19 pandemic. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 52(2), 260-271.

Caton S, Bradshaw J, Gillooly A, Hatton C, Flynn S, Oloidi E, Jahoda A, Maguire R, Marriott A, Mulhall P, Taggart L, Todd S, Abbott D, Beyer S, Gore N, Heslop P, Scior K & Hastings RP (2022). Digital participation of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 51(2), 163-174.

Caton S, Hatton C, Gillooly A, Oloidi E, Clarke L, Bradshaw J, Flynn S, Taggart L, Mulhall P, Jahoda A, Maguire R & Marriott A (2022). Online social connections and internet use among people with intellectual disabilities in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. New Media & Society. May 26, 2022.

Flynn S, Hatton C, Hastings RP, Hayden N, Caton S, Heslop P, Jahoda A, Todd S, Oloidi E, Beyer S, Mulhall P & Taggart L (2022). Access to and use of health and social care services for people with learning disabilities during COVID-19: a longitudinal study. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 27(1), 57-66.

Flynn S, Caton S, Gillooly A, Bradshaw J, Hastings R, Hatton C, Jahoda A, Mulhall P, Todd S, Beyer S, Taggart L & The Coronavirus and people with learning disability study team (2021). The experiences of adults with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tizard Learning Disability Review.

Flynn S, Hatton C & The Coronavirus and people with learning disabilities study team. (2021). Health and social care access for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 26(3), 174-179.

Hatton C, Bailey T, Bradshaw J, Caton S, Flynn S, Gillooly A, Jahoda A, Maguire R, Marriott A, Mulhall P, Oloidi E, Taggart L, Todd S, Abbott D, Beyer S, Gore N, Heslop P, Scior K, Hastings RP (2021). The willingness of UK adults with intellectual disabilities to take COVID-19 vaccines. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 65(11), 949-961.