ECNV has responded with agility and creativity to the ever-changing pandemic since COVID-19 first appeared. Initially we were focused on delivery of food and safety supplies and ensuring virtual access to human services. As the initial vaccines rolled out, ECNV tackled faulty state and local priorities to ensure community-based caregivers and PWD were at the front of the line. We made public clinics accessible, registered people for vaccines and hosted our own clinics.
The biggest issue we now face in Northern Virginia around vaccine delivery is trust. Or, more specifically, lack of trust. Whether based on worry over vaccine safety, a history of experiencing systemic medical abuse/neglect, low trust based on political beliefs, general mistrust of ‘the government’, or any variation, we find mistrust is the biggest remaining vaccination barrier.
We’ve had calls from immigrants who have left vaccination sites when asked for a social security number. People have reached out who tried to register online and were too troubled by questions about insurance and demographics to move forward. When planning our recent Vietnamese community pop-up, we learned their community members will only accept medical care at places where people they know and trust are in charge. Immune compromised folks are frustrated and distrustful of confusing booster guidance. People who dislike vaccines altogether, but are willing to have conversations to learn more, reach out as well as some who want the vaccine but don’t want friends and family to know. Our small pop-up clinics offer a safe option.
Our current initiatives are funded by a new Disability Vaccine Access Outreach grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC/HHS) (March 2022-June 2022) and an existing grant from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities/ Administration for Community Living (HHS) (November 2021 – August 2022).
We are here to help you access the COVID-19 vaccine and booster you need. People with disabilities are at greater risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19. Don’t become a statistic. Get protection from the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot. Contact ECNV for help to get your shot today! For more information contact us at info@ecnv.org.
Help Us Host a Covid-19 Vaccination Pop-Up
Partner with us to host a Pop-Up Vaccination event for 15 or more individuals or invite your friends, family, colleagues to an existing event. Pop-up vaccine events are co-organized by a person with a disability. Through grant funding we will be able to offer the co-organizer $200 to offset expenses such as food, lost income or work involved in hosting the event. Of course, we will provide information and connect people who do not wish to host a pop-up vaccination event with other available options.
Recruiting Trusted Disability Champions
Do you want to make a difference to your communities and networks who have not had access to disability news that can make a difference in their lives?
As a disability champion you will be part of a movement to assure that information is being relayed to everyone in our communities by:
- Sharing information about disability-related resources, services, rights, and opportunities.
- Providing positive perspectives about disability pride and possibilities
- Bringing the voices of people from your communities to mainstream disability-serving programs
- Being part of our growing social platform
Having a disability or experience or expertise in disability is not required. We are looking for individuals who wish to join us in shaping this new initiative. Disability Champions who also have disabilities can be paid $20/hour.