President Joe Biden announced Monday that some Americans experiencing long-term effects of Covid may qualify for disability resources and protections from the federal government.
The announcement was made as the president marked the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in a speech at the White House Rose Garden with Vice President Kamala Harris. It also comes as the long-term symptoms of coronavirus, widely referred to as “long Covid,” shape up to be a major public health issue down the road.
“We are bringing agencies together to make sure Americans with long Covid, who have a disability, have access to the rights and resources that are due under disability law,” Biden said.
Under guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, long Covid can qualify as a disability under federal civil rights laws if it “substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
