Vernon Getting Vaccines To Those With Developmental Disabilities

VERNON, CT — The town of Vernon and the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities have partnered to expand access to the coronavirus vaccine for Connecticut residents with developmental disabilities.

"People with disabilities can face unique challenges at mass vaccination clinics and other locations where vaccine is administered," said Walter Glomb, the Director of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities. "To reach this community, a more creative approach is needed."

Key goals of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities are to enable individuals who live with developmental disabilities to "live great lives in their own homes in their own communities" and to "to enter the work force in meaningful, gratifying employment."

Central to achieving that is providing access to the COVID- 19 vaccine to the people we serve, Glomb said.

Glomb said he contacted the Town of Vernon because of its success "reaching deep into the community to vaccinate the hardest to reach people." The town's mobile vaccination unit has visited a variety of locations in the area.

"Breaking down barriers to reach people has been a hallmark of our nationally- recognized community vaccination program," Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said. "Partnering with the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities fits right in to our mission."

Like other locations that included house calls to a elderly trailer park complex, Vernon Town Administrator and Emergency Management Director Michael Purcaro said providing a clinical operation that is custom tailored to serve people living with disabilities, their caregivers and their families is now on the agenda.

“And we can deploy immediately.," he said. "Our trained and experienced team is ready to get to work providing life-saving vaccine."

Vernon will partner with a variety of organizations to expand access to COVID-19 vaccine for people living with disabilities, said Vernon Police Lt. William Meier, the director of Vernon's vaccination program.

"We plan to conduct clinics at strategic locations statewide with special accommodations to serve this community," Meier said. Vernon will also develop a tool kit that will provide a blue print for vaccination clinics intended to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and best practices for clinics and outreach, now and in the future."

Among those partners is Opportunity Works of Vernon, which supports people with intellectual and physical disabilities to find employment in the community, and brings subject matter expertise to the effort to serve people living with disabilities.

"We bring a wealth of expertise, experience and knowledge of best practices for serving people with disabilities," said Rene Lambert, the executive director of Opportunity Works. "We look forward to working with the Town of Vernon in creating sensory appropriate clinics that will ensure the people we serve receive the best care possible."

The Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities is one of several organizations that have received federal funding to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines for individuals with disabilities. The others are the University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Disability Rights Connecticut, the Centers for Independent Living, and the Area Agencies on Aging.

For 50 years, the Council has served individuals with developmental disabilities and their families with advocacy, capacity building, systemic change activities that contribute to a comprehensive, coordinated, and self- determined system of individualized services and supports that is centered on and directed by individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.