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COVID-19 Information Round-Up

The landscape around COVID-19 vaccines and eligibility is rapidly changing. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) recently announced all adults will be eligible for the vaccine beginning March 29th. The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) gathered the information below in the hopes of providing Texans with disabilities more information on the vaccine and accommodations. Read on for answers to follow-up questions from our March 9th webinar, new guidance in American Sign Language (ASL) available for deaf Texans, and additional resources provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for people with disabilities. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A Now Available on YouTube

Officials from DSHS, including Commissioner John Hellerstedt, as well as Tommy Simmons from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) participated in a COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A on March 9th. The recording is now available on GCPD's YouTube channel. DSHS provided written answers to additional follow-up questions about vaccine development and safety, which can be found below. 

DSHS's answers to follow-up questions in PDF format

View GCPD's YouTube Channel

COVID-19 Vaccine Information in ASL

GCPD maintains a list of COVID-19 resources for people with disabilities, including vaccine information in ASL. FEMA recently released additional guidance on how to access video remote interpreting (VRI) and the language line when receiving a vaccine at community vaccination centers. 

Open Caption version.

FEMA accesible: Acceso en su idioma a los centros comunitarios de vacunación

Additional FEMA Vaccine Resources for People with Disabilities

FEMA is responsible for managing set-up and operations for Community Vaccination Centers (CVCs) across the country. As part of this effort, FEMA and other federal agencies established a Civil Rights Advisory Group that developed the Civil Rights Checklist and Best Practice Information resource to provide states, tribes, and territories a list of things to consider to ensure equitable access to the vaccine. Both guides include important tips on making sure people with disabilities are able to access the vaccine. 

You can find more information about vaccine support and equitable access on FEMA's website. They also have civil rights and disability integration advisors in each of its 10 regions to help ensure the needs of people with disabilities are included in all facets of vaccination center operations. For more details on your region's Disability Integration Specialist, contact FEMA.

The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities provides GovDelivery updates for informational purposes on a variety of disability related issues for a diverse audience. Updates may include information provided by external sources. The inclusion of this external information does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Committee or the Office of the Governor of any information, policy, product, or service offered by an external source.

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