Action Alert: Submit Comments on Senate White Paper to Protect People with Disabilities During Pandemics
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released a White Paper on Preparing for the Next Pandemic.
Despite knowing at least 42% of all COVID-19 deaths are people with disabilities in congregate facilities, the paper fails to address the disproportionate impacts future pandemics will have on people with disabilities, including those in congregate settings. It also fails to make recommendations that could protect the safety and rights of people with disabilities.
You can read the full white paper: Preparing for the Next Pandemic
Tell the Committee that they need to address the rights and safety of people with disabilities in disasters!
Join The Partnership in submitting comments by June 26, 2020:
- Download and customize this prepared template to address your concerns.
- Submit it in an Email to The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee: PandemicPreparedness@help.senate.gov
- Deadline for Comments: June 26, 2020 by 5pm ET
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
White Paper on Preparing for the Next Pandemic
While we appreciate the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions’ attempt to prepare for the next pandemic, The White Paper on Preparing for the Next Pandemic is incomplete. The White Paper does not address the rights and needs of people with disabilities whatsoever, and avoids the devastating infection and fatality rates of people with disabilities in institutional facilities. People who live in nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, group homes, psychiatric facilities, detention facilities, prisons, and jails are at greater risk by virtue of the fact that they live in these facilities.
As reported in Forbes on May 26, 2020, 42 percent of the U.S. COVID-19 deaths are from nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. This means that nearly 50 percent of COVID-19 deaths come from 0.6% of the U.S. population. Black and Brown people with disabilities are disproportionately represented in this death toll.
People with disabilities –– one in four Americans –– can not be left out of the country’s preparations for the next pandemic. This includes over 2 million people with disabilities in nursing facilities and other institutions. It must be noted that these individuals are not admitted to nursing facilities simply because of their age; they are admitted because they are unable to secure appropriate disability services and supports to live at home and in their community.
I am suggesting a 6th recommendation to the White Paper on Preparing for the Next Pandemic, as follows:
Ensuring that all people with disabilities, including older adults with disabilities, are equally protected in a pandemic, as well as future public health emergencies and disasters by:
Protecting the lives and enforcing the rights of people with disabilities in their communities,
Increasing home- and community-based services (HCBS),
Establishing Money Follows the Person as an entitlement,
Increasing the home healthcare workforce,
Increasing affordable, accessible housing,
Increasing and ensuring the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for people with disabilities, the home healthcare workforce, and direct service providers,
Passing the REAADI for Disasters Act,
Passing the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act
To truly ensure that people who live in congregate settings will not be at higher risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19 and any other outbreak of infection, they must be diverted and transitioned from those settings. This can only be done by investing in sufficient HCBS to prevent institutionalization, support people with disabilities in successfully transitioning back to the community and maintaining adequate supports and services (who chose) to remain/live? at home.
Failure to address these gaps will lead to preventable deaths in the next pandemic. Policies that protect the rights of people with disabilities in the next pandemic are not simply a good idea, but are critical to saving lives. The current pandemic has made this startlingly clear.
Sincerely,
Lisa Close
Carrollton, TX 75010