COVID-19 Prevention or Educational Negligence?: Exploring the Impact of Virtual Learning with Students with Disabilities and the Unveiling of Human Rights Violations in the U.S.

The educational landscape for U.S. students with disabilities demonstrates a historic struggle for equity. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning, exacerbated these disparities. This article interrogates Articles 25 and 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to examine how education for students with disabilities has been protected or ignored during the global pandemic. While the U.S. boasts education and opportunity for all, the effects of COVID-19 and virtual learning demonstrate glaring oversights in relation to disability accommodations. School social workers play an integral role in interventions for students with disabilities and facilitating equal access to quality education. As such, this article posits that school social workers should engage and advocate for classroom pedagogy reform, SEL implementation with fidelity, inclusive evaluations, and increasing supportive services to help mediate the effects of learning and behavior regression. This article is exigent for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in ensuring educational equity.