There is plenty of data that talks about racial disparities in COVID-19, and some survey the difficulties in special education during the pandemic. While these conclusions remain largely true, there is still no data to represent how a combination of these factors is likely to increase the difficulties experienced by black and brown families in the special education system.
Furthermore, despite knowing that people with disabilities, particularly intellectual disabilities, are at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19, the COVID-19 School Response Dashboard and the U.S. Census Weekly Pulse do not include information on disability.
Data on various components in the relationship between COVID-19 and the outcomes for black and brown students with disabilities is not conclusive. There needs to be dedicated research on this issue because the consequences—a likely widening of the already large gap in educational outcomes by race and disability—are dire.
