Collaborating for COVID Equity for People with Disabilities in Fresno County

May 14th, 2021 Collaborating for COVID Equity for PWD

The surge of the COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted concerns and inequities that have already existed for people with disabilities. It has disrupted all of our lives and how and where we obtain services, how we work, go to school, socialize, and how we understand and respond to the gravity of the situation, in addition to so many other aspects of our lives. Community Impact Community Impact

Fresno County Department of Public Health received CARES Funds to assist residents affected by COVID Sought partnerships with CBOs to carry out goals (Education, Isolation and Quarantine Support, Contact Tracing and Outreach) Disability organizations raised the issue that disability was not being addressed Disability Equity Project Coalition was formed Bringing Bringing Disability Disability to the Table to the Table

DEP Coalition DEP Coalition Organizations Organizations Exceptional Parents Unlimited, Inc.: young children and families Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Center : deaf and hard of hearing EasterSeals Central California: children and families Resources for Independence Central Valley: youth and adults with disabilities UCP Central California: adults Valley Center for the Blind: people who are blind and have low vision

DEP Highlights DEP Highlights Outreach and substantial community education for challenging to reach populations Financial support for people with disabilities impacted by COVID Case investigation support for Fresno County (task taken on by VCB) Vaccine clinics and vaccine registration and coordination

Staff Training 32 staff within the DEP project were trained by Fresno County Staff learned to navigate county sites in which cases and requests for services were inputted THE DEP team assisted in development of accessible training modules so staff who utilize screen readers have access to all of the information provided Ongoing training is being provided to keep staff up to date when providing services

Vaccine Clinic Partnerships DEP partnered with CVRC and the Department of Public Health and have provided 2 private clinics for our consumers The team registered over 500 persons with disabilities and staff to get vaccinated RICV was able to invite staff from all offices as well as all consumers from any county to get vaccinated Transportation was arranged through EOC and provided to those who requested the service Worked together to provide an environment that already had accommodations in place: on-site ASL and other language interpreters, staff to assist those who needed guiding, chairs to sit, open space for social distancing and those who use mobility devices, brailed information and electronic version emailed upon request, etc.

Ongoing Vaccine Clinic Partnerships The lead DEP organization has received funding from Kaiser in support of the ongoing efforts by the DEP A partnership with the local UCSF will host a weekly vaccine clinic on every Tuesday for persons with disabilities who want to get vaccinated (@Fresno City College) Incentives are being put in place to address vaccine hesitancy Extensive and intentional outreach is being strategized, especially in rural areas RICV will meet with Kaiser to learn if our site will be a good option to hold a clinic

Ongoing Vaccine Clinic Services Offered through DEP Registration assistance if needed Pay for or provide transportation Provide assistance at vaccine site if needed Answer Vaccine and COVID-19 questions Coordinate in-home vaccinations for people who cannot leave their residence

Connecting with Rural Communities What the RICV DEP staff are working on currently: Specific outreach that targets rural areas in all of our counties o Searching for outreach opportunities in hard-to- reach areas o Meeting people where they are at in their community o Advertising in hot spots: taco trucks, churches, flea markets, restaurants, businesses, and other organizations well established within those communities, etc. o Providing/offering incentives o Connection to resources o Information and Referral Services

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy As a part of President Biden s plan to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccines, the Center for Disease Control is partnering with the Administration for Community Living to provide funding to increase the availability of vaccines for people with disabilities and older adults. RICV has opted in to receive funding in order to address the barriers that people are still facing: Some activities will include: o Ongoing education o Scheduling vaccine appointments o Assistance in arranging transportation o Identifying people who may need an in-home vaccination and assisting in arranging that with the county of residence o Continuing to reach out to local health departments to develop partnerships as well as provide technical assistance on vaccine accessibility o Partnering with other Independent Living Centers to do statewide outreach o Resources and I&R

RICV Contact Information (559) 221-2330 www.ricv.org Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resourcesforindependence/ Empowering Independence. Improving Lives.