Keeping people with aphasia worldwide “COVID-informed” amid and after the pandemic

Abstract

Aphasia is an acquired language disorder commonly caused by a stroke or brain injury. A slowly growing number of studies have emerged reporting the psychosocial disruptions experienced by people with aphasia (PWA) in the present COVID-19 pandemic. To extend this topic of better addressing PWA’s rehabilitation needs, this paper aims to draw attention to the significance of helping PWA stay “COVID-informed” through the use of resources that are communicatively-accessible. Keeping PWA abreast of the evolution of the pandemic can reasonably ensure they stay connected to their society, even without an actual physical presence in their community. However, aphasia-friendly health information is currently available predominantly in English only. Similar materials are relatively scarce in other languages and not necessarily updated, albeit such a need for these resources is apparent globally. It is essential that healthcare providers ensure that accessible, comprehensible, high-quality and reliable health-related resources are made available for PWA; this will ultimately benefit them to navigate the pandemic and prepare for the post-COVID era.