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Learn how health agencies are prioritizing children’s health as they develop public health emergency preparedness planning in this blog.

The Louisiana Department of Health has developed Power Outage Partners, a first-of-its-kind program to recruit owners of stand-by residential generators to recharge the batteries of neighbors’ life support equipment during power outages.

According to the federal government, a homebased individual is someone who requires the help of another person or supportive device to leave the home, someone who is advised against leaving the home by a physician, and/or someone for whom it is extremely taxing to leave the home. Compared to non-homebased adults, homebased people are more likely to be older, have lower income, and belong to racial minority groups—as well as live with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and comorbidities. Individuals who are homebased therefore tend to be at increased risk for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

For many individuals living with disabilities, inaccessible vaccination websites have been a significant barrier to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Recent studies have found that many vaccination websites do not reliably meet accessibility standards. This brief discusses how several disability rights laws apply to COVID-19 vaccine registration websites and offers considerations for state and territorial health agencies as they work to improve website accessibility for people living with disabilities.

Learn about engaging partners in a virtual space, with actionable steps, examples, and resources.

This brief dives into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability of people with disabilities to access vital health care services during the public health emergency.

Health agencies play a key role in preparing for and responding to hurricanes and other severe weather events.

Spanish language version of "Embedded: Puerto Rico’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness Academy" blog post.

Following disruptions to daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency departments saw an increase of mental health-related visits. A June 2021 study showed a significant increase of mental health-related visits among 12–17-year-olds compared to the previous year. States and territories that implement a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention across all domains of life—an approach known as the socio-ecological model—can reduce contributing risk factors.

As the Delta variant spreads across the country and increases the number of COVID-19 cases, the strain it is placing on the nation’s health system continues to grow. The surge of COVID-19 patients is contributing to a shortage of the medications and equipment used to treat the disease. As these limitations grow, decisions will need to be made as to which patients receive resources and care and which patients don’t. To guide these decisions, policies called crisis standards of care are often established to maximize resource benefit and ensure they are distributed equitably.

It has never been more important for public health to better understand the disability community and quickly build skills and resources to better serve them, which makes it critical to include more people living with disabilities in the public health workforce.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the intersections of social determinants of health, such as transportation, education, and housing, and their impact on the health of individuals and communities. As the moratorium on evictions ends in many parts of the United States, housing in particular looms as a potential public health crisis. Braiding and layering funding is when government agencies and non-traditional partners collaborate and coordinate to combine different streams of funding to address social determinants of health. This post lists three examples where funding has been successfully braided or layered to support housing needs.

Every year in mid-July is National Youth Sports Week—in 2021 it falls on July 19-23. It’s an important health observance because youth sports create strong connections with peers and caring adults, as well as promote socio-emotional skills and positive well-being. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s National Youth Sports Strategy outlines policies and strategies that support access to youth sports. NYSS Champions, including ASTHO, work to promote participation and recognize the positive health outcomes sports can have on youth, such as limiting the impacts of adverse childhood experiences and building resiliency.

While COVID-19 is still present and ever-changing, public health professionals must also grapple with new challenges such as monkeypox, increasing firearm homicide, and widespread heat waves. In the wake of such emergencies, public health preparedness is more critical than ever.

On the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, this blog post explores state legislation around the country that supports people living with disabilities.

On Dec. 3, the International Day of People with Disabilities commemorates disability rights and brings awareness to essential issues for those with disabilities by promoting the “well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society.” While the ADA laid a critical foundation for disability rights, the work to ensure equitable access to services and needs continues, including access to state and local emergency preparedness and response activities like crisis communication, access to resources, allocation of vaccine and other medical countermeasures, and transportation.

Each video in this series focuses on a unique topic and features stories from ASTHO’s disability and preparedness specialists in the field. The videos demonstrate how they work to ensure information, testing, and COVID-19 vaccination sites are accessible for people living with disabilities

Accessibility Pillars in Web and Design Learn the core principles of accessible web and document design in public health, aligned with ADA guidelines, to ensure resources are usable by all communities. Accessibility in web and document design ensures that digital content is usable by everyone. This presentation introduces the core principles of accessibility, aligned with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines, and empowers you to recognize and implement accessible design practices. By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: Identify visual elements in a document as accessible or inaccessible without external guidance. Understand the importance of inclusive design and its impact on users with disabilities. Apply accessibility principles to everyday digital products and workflows. Recognize the legal and ethical standards required for compliance. Resource Slide Deck (PDF) Speakers Emily Lapayowker, Assistant Director, Web Content, ASTHO Christopher Preheim, Manager, Graphic Design, ASTHO Heidi Satter, Director, Web & Data Solutions, ASTHO Transcript - Video - Accessibility Pillars in Web and Design OE22-2203 PHIG article yes

Episode 620: Prepping for a Wave of Seniors, Listeria Response Relies on Communication website yes

Pennsylvania introduced innovative processes to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities access COVID-19 vaccines and other critical care.