Our Current Work

OUR CURRENT WORK

The Arc of Pennsylvania received funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to investigate, educate, and report on problems that people with disabilities in Pennsylvania have accessing appropriate information and help during the Covid-19 pandemic.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Our project brings together disability and healthcare stakeholders to listen, talk, and learn about COVID-19 disparities in the disability community. We will assure that people with lived experience of disability have their voices heard as we establish state and regional partnerships. These partnerships will align public health, healthcare, disability, and non-health interventions on behalf of the disability community across diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic populations. We also will develop a media campaign to educate on strategies to reduce and prevent COVID-19; provide accurate information; improve trust in the public health system; and ensure people with disabilities have access to supportive services.

MAIN FEATURES OF OUR PROJECT:

• Create a diverse statewide leadership task force that will:
  • Review and assess current practices
  • Identify and suggest solutions for the current pandemic and future preparedness in emergency situations
  • Suggest a health equity plan for long term change and to eliminate health inequities in the disability community, especially in marginalized groups and rural areas
• Establish regional, community workgroups that will:
  • Through local “listening” tours, identify barriers and gaps in Covid services and support in the disability community
  • Develop strategies and build capacity for accessible testing and test sites, vaccination, distribution of personal protective equipment and other strategies for reducing and preventing Covid-19.
  • Provide recommendations to the statewide leadership task force on local disparities and health inequities in local communities
  • Coordinate and build on culturally, linguistically, and locally tailored strategies and best practices
• Create a media campaign that will:
  • Educate on strategies to reduce and prevent Covid-19
  • Dispel misinformation, providing accurate information, and build trust in the public health system
  • Ensure people with disabilities have access to support services

• • • Provide the Pennsylvania Department of Health with:
      • A full report: “Findings and Recommendations: COVID-19 Health Disparities Among the Disability Community”,
      • A Health Equity Plan