Untold Stories of Black and Racialized Immigrants with Disabilities During COVID-19 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

<b>Background</b>: Black and racialized immigrants with disabilities in Canada face overlapping systems of exclusion rooted in racism, ableism, and migration status. Yet, their experiences within health and rehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic remain largely undocumented. This study explores how structural inequities shaped access to healthcare, rehabilitation, information, and community supports in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). <b>Methods</b>: Using narrative inquiry, ten in-depth interviews were conducted with participants who identified as Black or racialized, disabled, and having immigrated to Canada within the last 10 years. Narratives were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis to identify how systems, relationships, and policies interacted to shape daily life, health and rehabilitation navigation during the pandemic. <b>Results</b>: Participants described systemic barriers in health and rehabilitation systems, experiences of "othering" and conditional belonging, and the critical role of informal and faith-based networks in navigating inaccessible services. Pandemic policies often intensified existing inequities. <b>Conclusions</b>: Findings underscore the need for intersectional health and rehabilitation planning that centers the voices of Black and racialized disabled immigrants. Addressing systemic racism and ableism is essential for equitable preparedness in future public health emergencies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Healthcare
Published
2026-01-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14020205
Primary Topic
Migration, Health and Trauma
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Untold Stories of Black and Racialized Immigrants with Disabilities During COVID-19 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

Kelsey Vickers, Karen Yoshida, Rana Hamdy, Chavon Niles et al.
Healthcare
Migration, Health and Trauma
article

Untold Stories of Black and Racialized Immigrants with Disabilities During COVID-19 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

Kelsey Vickers, Karen Yoshida, Rana Hamdy, Chavon Niles, Nadeen Al Awamry, Jheanelle Anderson, Yahya El-Lahib
article en

Abstract

<b>Background</b>: Black and racialized immigrants with disabilities in Canada face overlapping systems of exclusion rooted in racism, ableism, and migration status. Yet, their experiences within health and rehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic remain largely undocumented. This study explores how structural inequities shaped access to healthcare, rehabilitation, information, and community supports in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). <b>Methods</b>: Using narrative inquiry, ten in-depth interviews were conducted with participants who identified as Black or racialized, disabled, and having immigrated to Canada within the last 10 years. Narratives were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis to identify how systems, relationships, and policies interacted to shape daily life, health and rehabilitation navigation during the pandemic. <b>Results</b>: Participants described systemic barriers in health and rehabilitation systems, experiences of "othering" and conditional belonging, and the critical role of informal and faith-based networks in navigating inaccessible services. Pandemic policies often intensified existing inequities. <b>Conclusions</b>: Findings underscore the need for intersectional health and rehabilitation planning that centers the voices of Black and racialized disabled immigrants. Addressing systemic racism and ableism is essential for equitable preparedness in future public health emergencies.

HealthcareVol. 14(2)
University of Calgary (CA), University of Toronto (CA)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 90%
Migration, Health and Trauma
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Untold Stories of Black and Racialized Immigrants with Disabilities During COVID-19 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area — Kelsey Vickers, Karen Yoshida, et al. · Healthcare (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS