Town Hall to Address the Disability Community’s Urgent Need for COVID-19 Vaccines

Media Alert: Town Hall to Address the Disability Community’s Urgent Need for COVID-19 Vaccines

WHAT:

Chicago-based disability rights group Access Living is pushing to prioritize COVID-19 vaccines for disabled people living in the community, particularly those who are most at risk of getting the virus and experiencing its worst deadly symptoms. We also aim to improve the accessibility of testing and vaccination sites and to better the accessibility in COVID-19 related community outreach and communications. Join us to hear from City and State medical experts and government officials about the work underway to address these issues, and get details about current vaccine eligibility criteria.

WHEN:             

3 – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 3, 2021

WHERE:          

Zoom Webinar

Register here.

Please email questions in advance for accessibility purposes to Brenna McCauley at bmccauley@accessliving.org. Live audience questions will also be taken via the chat.

WHO:              

Panelists include:

• Dr. Damon Arnold, former Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and current Medical Director at Blue Cross and Blue Shield Illinois.
• Veronica Halloway, Division Chief at the Illinois Department of Public Health Center for Minority Health Services
• Dr. Rachel Bernard, Medical Director – COVID Response Bureau at The Chicago Department of Public Health
• Rachel Arfa, Commissioner at The City of Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
• Rahnee Patrick: Director of the Division of Rehabilitation Services at the Illinois Department of Human Services

Access Living President and CEO Karen Tamley will give opening remarks. Access Living Health and Community based services policy analyst, Dr. Angel Miles PhD, will emcee the town hall.

ACCESS:        

Please email accommodation requests to Jerome Palliser at jpalliser@accessliving.org no later than Tuesday, February 2nd. ASL interpretation and automated captions provided.

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Nationally recognized as a leading force in the disability advocacy community, Access Living challenges stereotypes, protects civil rights and champions social reform.