People with disabilities, including those with physical, intellectual, cognitive, and sensory disabilities, as well as those who are Deaf and hearing impaired, and people who are blind and with low vision needs, will register for the COVID-19 vaccine and arrive at vaccination sites in droves.

Government agencies have obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure that all disabled people who desire to receive the COVID-19 vaccines are able to get them. To provide equal access to vaccines, structural barriers must be addressed, and communication access must be provided including the use of readers, alternate accessible format, and accessible electronic format. 

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies’ just-in-time training and customized mass vaccination sites checklist will help enable Department of Health staff across the country and staff at vaccination sites to identify structural and communication barriers, comply with legal obligations, and ensure people with disabilities have equal access to vaccinations. It includes best practices such as providing peer support to people in crisis at vaccine sites.

The 10-15 minute training will support the Department of Health staff and vaccine staff in (1) understanding legal obligations, (2) using the customized checklist, and (3) identifying promising practices to provide disabled people equal access to the vaccination process. The training is engaging and will be provided by a disabled person who has been conducting national training in the ADA and Section 504 for 30 years.