The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing stay-at-home orders caused tremendous restrictions in social contacts, which led to increasing use of the internet for daily tasks and social interactions. As prior research has established, people with disabilities (PWD) had already been using the internet for such purposes prior to the pandemic, especially for health-related content. Through a national survey administered during the first few weeks of the pandemic in the United States, we explore how people with and without disabilities used social media to exchange information and engage in activities about COVID-19. Findings reveal that PWD were more engaged with information about COVID-19 than those without disabilities, even when controlling for sociodemographics and internet experiences and skills. These differences are especially pronounced concerning more active engagement such as sharing information, interacting, and supporting others on social media. Although the content is about a health crisis in which PWD are disproportionately vulnerable, these effects largely remain when we enter controls for health status, belonging to high-risk groups for COVID-19, and personal experiences with COVID-19. Findings highlight the benefits of universal design, both for PWD specifically, and for society more broadly, as the general population ramps up use of tools long fought for and used by PWD.

COVID-19 大流行和随之而来的居家令对社交接触造成了巨大限制，导致人们越来越多地使用互联网来完成日常任务和社交互动。正如先前的研究所证实的那样，残疾人 (PWD) 在大流行之前就已经将互联网用于此类目的，特别是与健康相关的内容。通过在美国大流行的最初几周进行的一项全国调查，我们探讨了残疾人和非残疾人如何使用社交媒体交流信息并参与有关 COVID-19 的活动。调查结果显示，即使在控制了社会人口统计以及互联网经验和技能的情况下，残疾人也比健康人更关注有关 COVID-19 的信息。这些差异在更积极的参与方面尤其明显，例如在社交媒体上分享信息、互动和支持他人。尽管内容涉及残疾人特别容易受到影响的健康危机，但当我们对健康状况、属于 COVID-19 高危人群以及个人感染 COVID-19 的经历进行控制时，这些影响在很大程度上仍然存在。研究结果强调了通用设计的好处，无论是对残疾人还是更广泛的社会来说，因为普通大众越来越多地使用残疾人长期以来争取和使用的工具。