On March 3rd, 2020 The Partnership, along with World Institute on Disability, NCIL Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee and nationwide disability rights leaders and inclusive emergency management experts released a statement identifying the urgent need for immediate strategies and solutions from the federal government and governments at every level, including local, state, tribal and territorial, to address the specific needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and people with access and functional needs throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and all public health emergencies.

See the National Disability Rights Call To Action here: https://tinyurl.com/DisabilityRightCallToAction

The Partnership then sent the National Call To Action on March 9th, 2020 with at the time 64 organizations, and has since grown to 126 organizations signed on, to the White House COVID-19 Task Force with the following letter addressing specific questions for immediate action at all government and non-government levels.

See the community letter to the White House COVID-19 Task Force here: https://tinyurl.com/letter-wh

On March 12th, 2020 The Partnership, along with World Institute on Disability, National Council on Independent Living Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee, and nationwide disability leaders and inclusive emergency management experts released initial recommendations for government at all levels to take into consideration for immediate action to ensure continuity of operations and services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with access and functional needs who use personal assistance services and supports.

See the COVID-19 Recommended Actions for PAS here: https://tinyurl.com/PASrecommendations

The list of organizational supporters for the COVID-19 National Disability Rights Call To Action is growing daily!

To see live updates of organizations supporting this statement, spreading the message, and doing the good work please click here: https://tinyurl.com/live-org-updates

To sign your organization’s support onto this statement please click here: https://tinyurl.com/org-signon-form

If you have any difficulties signing your organization’s support, or want more information on how to get involved in systemic advocacy for COVID-19 disability planning and response please email: dart@disasterstrategies.org

We are incredibly thankful to our partners and supporters who have been involved and joined us in the fight for systematic advocacy on the rights and needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and people with access and functional needs throughout all phases of COVID-19 planning and response, and all public health emergencies.

Our voices are the strongest when we amplify our unified message. Community resilience is only possible when planning, response and recovery is accessible to all and includes people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs as key members of community preparedness and resilience initiatives, before, during and after disasters.

People with disabilities are 2-4 times more likely to die or be injured in a disaster, and our community can anticipate to be disportionately impacted throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. We must be ready to respond, together.

We thank you for your support and efforts to educate, advocate, and make a difference for people with disabilities in your community before, during and after the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and all public health emergencies and disasters.