Public Health is for Everyone An inclusive planning toolkit for public health professionals

In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the world worked with pharmaceutical companies to develop coronavirus vaccine candidates at a record pace. Here in the United States, the breakneck speed of vaccine development has left state and federal health authorities racing against the clock to devise frameworks for how to distribute vaccines as efficiently as possible to hasten the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To aid in the effort to ensure these most vulnerable populations are appropriately prioritized for vaccination, ANCOR analyzed states' vaccine allocation frameworks to identify the extent to which people with I/DD have been included.

This document offers a quick visualization of which states have identified people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and direct support professionals (DSPs) in high-priority tiers for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. 

As part of its 2020 CARES Act Telehealth Award from The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Family Voices National created a Telemedicine Curriculum titled the Nuts and Bolts of Telemedicine: Essentials for a Family-Centered Experience.

The curriculum includes four webinars:

• Are you Connected?
• Do you Have a Device?
• Can You "See" Your Provider?
• Your Family's First Telemedicine Appointment.

There is a recording of each webinar that serves as a train-the-trainer so presenters can familiarize themselves with the information. There is an accompanying set of PowerPoint slides and talking points, in English and Spanish, that presenters can use "as is" or adapt to best need the needs of the families they serve.

Provides location-based recommendations on where community members can get a COVID-19 test, fill prescriptions, and get a COVID-19 vaccine when distribution increases in the coming months.

The PRACTICAL Tool was originally created by the American Bar Association for attorneys to help them identify and support implementing decision-making options for persons with disabilities that are less restrictive than guardianship. Like attorneys, healthcare providers may find themselves involved with families and patients as they navigate similar issues, and also like attorneys, little has been done historically to prepare them for attending to the full breadth of decision making support options available.

This manual begins with the PRACTICAL Tool, amended for use by healthcare providers, and then moves into a more detailed overview of patient-centered care (Part I) and other decision making supports that do not involve the removal of rights (Part II).

This video provides​ information on Supported Decision Making in Health Care and Medical Treatment Decisions, including FAQs for medical and health care providers, for people with disabilities, and their family, friends, and advocates.

The production of this video was funded by a grant from the WITH Foundation. The contents do not necessarily represent the official views of the WITH Foundation. This video is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing any legal advice.

A public service video that effectively communicates important messages about various disaster preparedness topics. It includes a portion on considerations for individuals with access and functional needs (12:24). Answers questions: Who is considered a person with access and functional needs? What should a person with an access and functional need do to prepare for a disaster or emergency? How should people with access and functional needs stay informed?

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus that spreads easily and can make people very sick. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine protects against COVID-19, and is an important tool to help stop the pandemic. People with developmental disabilities, their families, and supporters play an important role in preventing COVID-19 by getting a vaccine. View this website for fact sheets with information about the COVID-19 Vaccine.

Black, Indigenous and People of Color, disabled people, higher weight people,and older adults have historically experienced and continue to experience discrimination by medical professionals. In health care settings, members of these communities face pervasive negative biases and inaccurate assumptions about their value, quality of life, capacity to communicate and make decisions, and likelihood of survival.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, these biases can have serious and even deadly consequences. Such biases may be exacerbated when hospitals are faced with scarce resources and must make decisions about which critically ill patients should receive treatment. The “crisis standards of care” which are used by many states and hospitals to make these decisions, have too often reflected these biases. It is crucial that these standards be tailored to avoid unlawful discrimination.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms.