Public Health is for Everyone An inclusive planning toolkit for public health professionals

Your child may not want to wear a mask and have a hard time keeping it on. Wearing a mask can be really hard for children with anxiety, sensory differences, and autism. Your child may be extra sensitive to the way the mask feels on their face, head, and ears. Some children may even feel panicked when a mask is put on them. Some kids won’t like the way mask looks on themselves or others, and might feel scared. Other children just won’t like it because it is different and doing something different is hard for them. Use this toolkit to help your child feel comfortable.

Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities

This project started in January of 2020 when the world, and most especially the United States, was different. Our priority to analyze the changing reality of disability was born of a growing sense of concern that much of what people knew of disability in 1990 had not evolved or not evolved enough. Unless we know who's being left out we cannot create a world that minimizes the rising volume of functional limitation and support everyone to live self-directed lives.

The goal of this project is to spotlight issues for people too seldom considered as central to understanding disability in America. To summon awareness that can help to inform policy as we act to rebuild from the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. The hope is to stimulate research with neglected populations to end doing harm and learn what works if we are to measure progress.

People with intellectual, cognitive or developmental disabilities get involved as both victims and suspects/offenders with law enforcement and with the criminal justice system. Use this factsheet to discuss policing with individuals with disabilities.

Traditional face masks interfere with lip reading and transmission of sign language "facial grammar," disrupting communication for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  In fact, being unable to see facial expressions is a barrier to communication for many people: teachers, health professionals, performers, police, and more. Clear masks -- those with a transparent window in front -- are being sought by many. Nationwide, volunteer sewists have produced and donated thousands of cloth masks, easing the PPE crisis. Together, let's shift mask culture to clear.

• For a list of places to purchase a clear mask, click the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UINsEe9fIqKdKaQH5m37v_S3tCokMLgQgm4z9jJl30U/edit
• Dorothy Mask – A clear mask with a large window, a nose wire, elasticized chin cup and wearing options: Instruction guide and pattern: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uSEpWVcWZbfyHYrfPdQHpHvfinr2b6u7
• Adam clear Mask: A no sew option with soft foam at the nose and chine to support a large clear panel. Instruction guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mj6awJig_4ivgDcUkkPGoogBQrUqLnEq/view
• Additionally, there are dozens of other designs available, most with detailed instructions in print or video format at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JYNE3FkCjRCaKT90N8Uy4mhic2qD3SA2egpjyWy7Nd8/edit

Use this resource for answers to frequently asked questions about face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

OSHA means the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This government office makes rules to keep people safe and healthy at work. OSHA has rules that will protect workers from COVID-19. This booklet uses plain language to describe many of those rules. It includes information and tools to use to make a decision about going out in public during the COVID-19 outbreak.

State across the country have submitted COVID-19 vaccination plans to be reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Plans are based upon the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations as developed by the CDC. States were asked to consider many different items including:

• Public health preparedness planning
• Phased approaches to vaccination
• Identification of critical populations
• Provider recruitment and enrollment
• Capacity to administer
• Vaccine storage and handling

View this website to see states' current draft vaccination plan.

The interim playbook serves as an interim playbook for state, territorial (including the US-affiliated Pacific Islands [USAPI] of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau), tribal, and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their jurisdictions. The document’s sections cover specific areas of COVID-19 vaccination program planning and implementation and provide key guidance documents and links to resources to assist those efforts. Many, but not all, of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program activities described may overlap with routine activities; routine immunization and pandemic influenza program activities can serve as a foundation for COVID-19 vaccination planning.

PDF Version

All children, including those with disabilities, need love, respect, nurturing, and time, especially during difficult and uncertain times. Check out these tips for children with disabilities to use while dealing with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Playful Parenting Emergency Response 

Watch this video with helpful tips about caring for a new baby during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Playful Parenting Emergency Response