Updated June 11, 2020
Legislation / Congress
On March 6, 2020 the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-123) was signed into law. This provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 18, 2020 the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127) was signed in to law. This increases Medicaid funding through a 6.2% FMAP (Federal Medical Assistance Percentage) increase, provides free COVID-19 testing, provides for some emergency paid sick and family leave, expands food assistance, and expands unemployment benefits.
On March 27, 2020 the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. The CARES Act is a $2 trillion package that includes direct “recovery rebates” to individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, funding for businesses, and funding for a range of programs like housing and transportation, among other things. Read a brief summary of the disability-related provisions that were included and left out of the CARES Act.
On April 24, 2020 the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act was signed into law. This is an interim bill (known as “Package 3.5”) that provided additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), COVID-19 testing, and other provisions from the CARES Act.
Get Involved
The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies is hosting daily COVID-19 Disability Rights Workgroup Calls. They are held at 6:00 p.m. Eastern every day except Thursday. On Thursdays, they are held at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. You can find out more, get the call-in information, or be added to the email distribution list by emailing dart@disasterstrategies.org.
- Learn more about the Partnership at disasterstrategies.org
- Read their National Call to Action
NCIL’s Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee meets monthly via teleconference and has been communicating regularly about COVID-19 as well. If you are interested in joining the subcommittee, contact Subcommittee Chair Todd Holloway at toddh@cfisouth.org.
Resources
Ability Center of Greater Toledo
Administration for Community Living (ACL)
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- About Coronavirus Disease
- Information for People at Risk for Serious Illness from COVID-19
- What to do if you are sick
- Keeping workplace, school, home, and commercial establishments safe (PDF)
- Guidance for Homeless Shelters
- Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of COVID-19 in nursing homes (PDF)
Department of Labor (DOL)
Office of Civil Rights (OCR), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Bulletin: Civil Rights, HIPAA, and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 – COVID19 (PDF)
- Ensuring the Rights of Persons with Limited English Proficiency in Health Care During COVID-19 – May 15, 2020 (PDF)
- Resolution regarding requirement for hospitals and state agencies to ensure disabled patients have access to support person(s) in hospital settings during COVID-19 (June 9, 2020)
Social Security Administration
World Health Organization (WHO)
Plain Language
- Plain language information about COVID-19 (PDF)
- Plain language prevention recommendations (PDF)
- Important Things to Know about COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
- Coronavirus: What Is It and What Can I Do? (PDF)
- Plain Language Booklet: My COVID-19 Plan
Spanish Plain Language
- Información de COVID-19 Por y Para Personas con Discapacidades (PDF)
- Prevención de COVID-19 Recomendaciones (PDF)
More Languages
Transitioning to Sheltering in Place
- Freelancing with a disability: Designing an accessible work from home space
- How to hide your messy room for a Zoom video conference
- Workout from Home: Options for People with Disability and Chronic Health Conditions (YouTube Playlist)
These links are provided for informational purposes. No endorsement is implied.