This op-ed describes ways that existing guidance for rationing scarce resources in response to COVID-19 case surge may be discriminatory towards persons with disabilities and reflect harmful stereotypes.

The author cites recent resource allocation guidance from the British Medical Association that suggests potential removal of ventilators from some patients in favor of others with better prognosis based on age and health, as well as reports of “do not resuscitate” (DNR) forms being given to patients who receive adult social care. The author also notes a recent change in approach by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that initially indicated patients with learning disabilities and autism should be assessed higher on frailty scores, which would make them lower priority for resource allocation. The author distinguishes between judgements based on treatment efficacy and judgements based on quality of life, arguing that support needs are not equivalent to frailty and that policies for treatment should be based on an individual’s needs and choices, not on generalized assessments of entire groups that facilitate discrimination.