This is a segment of our COVID-19 resource series. Learn more about the series or browse additional content at COVID-19 and the Workforce.
Support for Health Care Providers
The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing developed the: COVID-19 Visual Tool for Communicating with Individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Disability Community Overall
The coronavirus and COVID-19 crisis impact the disability community in ways that are both universal and unique. On this page we have gathered resources from people with disabilities and disability organizations that can assist employers in understanding the way in which the disabled community is impacted. Also included are articles from other sources that focus on what employers and others can learn from people with disabilities during the crisis.
- 5 Things to Know About Coronavirus And People With Disabilities, Andrew Pulrang, Forbes
- COVID-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities, a plain language guide created by the Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities.
- What You Need to Know About Coronavirus (in American Sign Language), New York City’s Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
- The National Association of the Deaf COVID-19 Resource Page includes videos in American Sign Language (ASL) about COVID-19 and ASL videos from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes: The COVID-19 Information Page includes resources and tips to ensure accessibility along with access to free professional development courses.
- American Foundation for the Blind COVID-19 Resource Page
- National Federation of the Blind COVID-19 Resource Page
- American Association of People with Disabilities: How the Disability Community Can Respond to COVID-19 – Ensuring People with Disabilities Can Access Prescription Drugs During the Current Crisis
- AAPD COVID-19 Resources
- Microsoft Accessibility Blog: What the Disability Community Can Teach us about Working Remotely.
- Communication 1st COVID-19 Communication Rights Toolkit (healthcare focus)
- Disability-Specific Recommendations for COVID-19, Seth McBride, New Mobility, an official publication of United Spinal Association.
- 7 Surprising Lessons You Learn In A Self-Quarantine, Denise Brodey, Forbes
- COVID Information by and for People with Disabilities, plain language guide, Green Mountain Self Advocates and the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Información de COVID-19 Por y Para Personas con Discapacidades.
- CSD (Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.) set up a new “ASL Now Coronavirus Hotline” for the community to get questions answered in American Sign Language (ASL). CSD has a fully operational video contact center in Austin, TX with Deaf representatives for the Deaf community. The Deaf community may contact the hotline anytime Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Central Time either by visiting the csd.org website and clicking “ASL Now” or by dialing 833-682-7630 on their existing videophones. CSD has also implemented a general resource page.
- Disability Rights, Education and Defense Fund (DREDF): COVID-19 Advocacy & Resources
- Hearing Loss Association of America: Hearing and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources
- WITH Foundation Interview: COVID-19 and people with I/DD: A physician’s perspective
- The Arc COVID-19 Disability Response Fund: Briefing for Funders [PDF]
- As A Disabled Person, I’m Afraid I May Not Be Deemed Worth Saving From The Coronavirus, Emily Ladau
- Where are we now: disability in the pandemic? Peter Torres Fremlin, April 26, 2020
- Access Living’s COVID-19 Resources for the Disability Community
- COVID-19 Teaches Us A Lot About Differences In The Disability Community, Andrew Pulrang, Forbes, April 30, 2020
- Man with hearing loss could not communicate with paramedics in masks – now he’s helping others with the same issue, YahooLife, May 8, 2020
- Living with a disability during the pandemic. Sun Devil Life, June 12, 2020.
- Coronavirus Made Accessibility A Priority. Disability Activists Have Been Fighting For It For Decades. HUFFPOST, July 23, 2020.
- Guide to Coronavirus for Cancer Patients. Asbestos.com, The Mesothelioma Center.
- Youth With Disabilities Want COVID-19 to Teach Importance of Accessibility. Youth Today, September 11, 2020.
- This woman is making masks more accessible for people with hearing loss. World Economic Forum, September 21, 2020.
- COVID-19 Eye Health Guide, MyVision.Org, September 2022.
About the COVID-19 Response Series
As we work together and learn during this unprecedented time, we are guided by two broad principles:
- Designing and implementing responses to COVID-19 that are based on facts, objective evidence, and science; and
- Ensuring that our responses are genuine, effective, and meaningful by taking into consideration the functional needs of all employees, including individuals with disabilities through the provision of reasonable accommodations, including accessible websites, online systems, mobile apps and other forms of information and communication technologies.
Disability:IN has compiled the following resources to support your disability inclusion work during COVID-19. Please know that more resources will be added as they become available. If you have a resource that isn’t listed but should be, please email Kate Calcutt.