Daniel Prince
Network aims to act against vaccine misinformation and barriers to vaccine access
Able South Carolina, a nonprofit organization and change agent focused on empowering individuals with disabilities to live active, self-determined lives and fostering an inclusive society, has established the SC Disability Vaccine Access Network. The network is funded by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and the US Department of Health and Human Service’s Administration for Community Living. The new network is a group of disability-focused nonprofits and leaders in the state with a mission to act against COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and barriers to vaccine access that impact the disability community.
Partners in the network include Accessibility, Disability Rights SC, the SC Developmental Disabilities Council, the USC Center for Disability Resources, and Walton Options. It was created to educate individuals in the disability community about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, provide help to overcome barriers to getting vaccinated, and to help those who want to get vaccinated to get the shot.
The goal is to provide vaccine information in a plain-language, accessible format that can easily be distributed among the disability community and related audiences, and to serve as a guide for people with disabilities in SC who may face barriers to getting the vaccine. They are reaching out because people with disabilities are considered a high-risk group for severe sickness and death caused by COVID-19. They say since one in three South Carolinians has a disability, the lack of access to health care is the biggest barrier that people with disabilities face when seeking COVID-19 prevention, treatment, and education. To learn more, visit www.SCDisabilityVaccine.org or call the SC Disability Vaccine Access Hotline at 1-800-787-6046.