In the past few months, our lives have been overwhelmed with changes overnight due to the coronavirus. This virus has disproportionately affected people with accessibility differences in many ways. From putting people with a variety of health conditions at risk at a higher risk, to drastically changing Special Education for millions of students, to shaping how we interact, this virus has raised various concerns. Thankfully, there are many valuable resources that many institutions have put out to help navigate these unprecedented times. In this article, we hope to shed light on these resources and provide you with valuable information. We will mainly focus on health, education, and how to ensure a safe holday season in this article and break it up into sections for your convenience.
Health and Well-being
To learn more about how COVID impacts people with accessibility differences, visit CDC’s page at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-disabilities.html. This article discusses what groups are at a higher risk and ways to prepare and protect yourself from the virus.
The CDC has compiled an American Sign Language series on YouTube explaining COVID-19, how it spreads, stress and anxiety coping techniques, and preventative measures. One thing to keep in mind is that the CDC published these videos in April, and since then, experts have found new information. You can find these video series at https://youtu.be/AE9-8HVKNpA.
The MayoClinic discussed Dr. Lancaster explanation about how COVID-19 affects the immunocompromised and senior communities. You can also see the video she made for more details. Additionally, they go over her suggestions regarding preventative measures that are especially crucial for these communities. You can check out https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-keeping-seniors-immunocompromised-people-safe/ for more information.Â
The Arc published a briefing on the impact of COVID on the I/DD community, who are statistically more likely to have underlying health conditions. Visit http://thearc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Briefing-Paper.pdf for a detailed summary.
During COVID, it is essential to take care of our mental health more than ever. The National Institute of Mental Health shared resources to help cope with the stress this pandemic is putting on all of us at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-coping-with-covid-19.shtml. Autism Speaks also put together a list of mental health supports at https://www.autismspeaks.org/provider/especial-needs-llc-deluxe-cloth-face-mask-antimicrobial-cover.
As we all know, it is essential to wear a mask to help prevent the virus’ spread. AccessibleMasks.org lists a variety of companies who are making transparent masks for deaf people at https://www.accessiblemasks.org/. Autism Speaks also recommended that families with autistic children check out eSpecial Needs. You can find their article at https://www.autismspeaks.org/provider/especial-needs-llc-deluxe-cloth-face-mask-antimicrobial-cover
Education
The National Center for Learning Disabilities provided multiple tools to support students, parents and educators at https://ncld.org/covid19/
College looks quite different in many ways this year. To navigate these changes, AHEAD put together a comprehensive page of resources to help students with a variety of accessibility needs. For more information visit https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/coronavirus-resources
As we adapt to a new mode of learning, some students may need IEPs or may need changes to their existing IEP. Understood created a Q&A page, answering common questions that students and caregivers may have at https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-education-coronavirus-faqs
Yale wrote an article about how to provide the best Zoom experience to students with accessibility difference. The link is https://academiccontinuity.yale.edu/faculty/how-guides/zoom/zoom-considerations-teaching-students-disabilities. For specific resources to support students with Autism consider visiting https://autismclassroomresources.com/distance-learning-resources/. Zoom also has a webpage on accessibility on https://zoom.us/accessibility.
Educating All Learners organized a variety of learning tools for students with accessibility differences, parents and educators at https://es.educatingalllearners.org/resource-library.
Holiday Safety
Disability Rights CA hosted a webinar about how to ensure a safe and accessible holiday season. For the recorded version of the webinar, visit https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/post/webinar-celebrating-the-holidays-during-covid-19
There are still plenty of ways to enjoy the holiday cheer in a safe way! Consider visiting virtual events this year to celebrate and check out https://www.eventbrite.com/d/online/holiday--events/. Most of the events on this page are free of cost or have a low admission fee.
Disability Info collected a vary of resources to navigate the holidays in a healthy and stress-free way. Visit https://disabilityinfo.org/fact-sheet-library/health/tips-for-coping-with-the-holidays-links/ for a variety of tips.
The Indiana Resource Center for Autism put together a list of resources for families this season. You can visit https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/making-the-most-of-the-holidays-for-your-family-and-your-son-daughter for tips and tools
Finally, here are some wonderful gift ideas for kids with accessibility differences to ask Santa or for Santa to surprise them! Visit https://www.performancehealth.com/articles/22-gift-ideas-for-kids-with-special-needs. Santa has a special request for everyone to be able to complete his important mission: Please wear a mask, practice social distancing and other guidelines recommended by the CDC!
We hope these resources help provide support to our community during this time and that you are all staying well and safe. Always remember that SNSP is always here for you and we send our love and best wishes to all of you. Have a lovely and safe holiday season and we will be back on December 28th!
