Partners in the vaccination effort: The aging and disability networks play an important role in helping people with disabilities and older adults get vaccinated. Last month, ACL and CDC announced a partnership that will provide nearly $100 million to support these efforts. ACL's Federal Register page has additional funding information for ACL networks including Aging and Disability Resource Centers and the three Developmental Disabilities Act networks. ACL also recently released FAQs for Older Americans Act programs and Centers for Independent Living.
Upcoming Webinars:
- Friday, April 16, 1:00 PM ET: COVID-19 Town Hall: Avoiding scams and managing the financial impact of the pandemic hosted by SAGE, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The webinar will discuss how LGBT elders can keep themselves and their finances secure during the pandemic.
- Friday, April 16, 1:15pm ET: Information, Data, and Tools to Support COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Underserved Communities hosted by the American Public Health Association, the GWU Milken Institute School of Public Health, MDB, and SSF.
- Thursday, April 22, 2:00pm ET: Engaging Communities in Faith-Based Models of Care hosted by Grantmakers in Aging
- Thursday, April 22, 2:00pm ET: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Adults with Physical Disabilities from Marginalized Communities hosted by the NIDILRR-funded IDEAL Rehabilitation Research Training Center at the University of Michigan. The webinar will present findings from a recent study on the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with physical disabilities from marginalized communities living in southeast Michigan.
- Thursday, April 22, 3:00pm ET. Forming Strategic Partnerships Between Housing, Medicaid HCBS Payers, and Community-Based Services, This ACL/CMS webinar provides strategies and best practices to form partnerships between housing, Medicaid HCBS payers, and community-based services to successfully address housing challenges.
- Wednesday, April 28, 1:00pm ET: FEMA call on the Funeral Assistance Program for disability community stakeholders
- Wednesday, April 28, 2:00pm ET: The Federal Response to COVID-19 - Addressing the Needs of the Autism and Disability Communities hosted by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Autism Research Coordination at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Wednesday, May 12, 3:00pm ET: COVID-19 Vaccines for Caregivers and Personal Care Assistants hosted by Georgia Tech
Ensuring equitable access to vaccines: As millions of Americans receive vaccines every day, we must all work to ensure that no community is unfairly left behind. Here are some resources and initiatives to promote equity in vaccine access and distribution:
- ACL teamed up with the HHS Office for Civil Rights and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) to release new legal guidance and resources to help states, vaccination providers, and others leading COVID-19 response activities improve access to vaccines for people with disabilities and older adults. These resources clarify legal requirements, illustrate some of the barriers to vaccine access faced by people with disabilities and older people, and provide strategies – and examples of how the aging and disability network can help employ them – to ensure accessibility.
- U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Pamela S. Karlan issued a statement and resource guide to assist Federal agencies, state and local governments, and recipients of federal financial assistance in addressing ongoing civil rights challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The CDC Foundation will award over $6.7 million to community-based organizations to support efforts to increase influenza and COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake for adults in racial and/or ethnic populations experiencing disparities in the United States. The CDC Foundation will provide $50,000 - $100,000 awards to an estimated 100 CBOs to: (1) Equip influential messengers by providing trainings and materials; (2) Increase vaccination opportunities and enhance provider partnerships; and (3) Establish partnerships with state and local health departments. Applications are due Monday, April 26 and selected CBOs will be notified of their selection by May 7. 2021.
- The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) created GetOutTheVaccine.org, a website that helps people with disabilities make informed decisions about getting vaccinated.
- The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services' resource, Ensuring Vaccine Access for Individuals with I/DD & Direct Support Professionals, describes successful state efforts to vaccinate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Want to be a part of the vaccine effort? Join the COVID-19 Community Corps. This COVID-19 public education campaign will increase vaccine confidence while reinforcing basic prevention measures. Corps members receive resources to help build vaccine confidence in the community.
Accessible resources for people with disabilities: The Georgia Tech COVID-19 Accessible Materials for People with Disabilities project has a new microsite with resourced for people with a variety of disabilities. New resources include a video for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities on wearing a mask the right way and an ASL video on running essential errands The project receives funding from the CDC Foundation.
Stay up to date with NIDILRR: Grantees of ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research have been busy during generating research and tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. NIDLRR's National Rehabilitation Information Center has an updated page where you can find the latest COVID-19 resources from NIDILRR's grantee community.
Getting a vaccine from VA: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has an updated vaccine sign-up form for veterans, spouses, caregivers, and Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) recipients who aren’t enrolled in VA health care.
Safely staying open: CDC has created a central repository of guidelines, tools, and resources for states, tribes, localities, and territories that is designed to help get and keep America open. Visit the site to learn how to quickly identify new cases, break chains of transmission, and protect first responders and health care workers from infection.