COVID-19 Resources for the Disability Community

COVID-19 Resources for the Disability Community

Last updated: 9:00am, 6/22/20

In light of developments in the outbreak of COVID-19 across the country, Access Living will continue to support our community in a multitude of ways, including creating and maintaining the below list of resources.

Please note: This is a living document. Information will be updated as it changes or becomes available.

As a person with a disability, how are you being impacted by Covid-19? Tell us your story.

Table of Contents

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Recently Added

• Despite Coronavirus eviction ban, some Chicago landlords are using illegal to lock out tenants. If you are facing eviction here are a few tenants rights organizations you can contact:

• Metropolitan Tenants Organization
• Legal Aid Chicago
• City of Chicago Rents Right Hotline
• If you are facing eviction due to disability discrimination, contact Access Living’s Civil Rights Team.

• Starting Sunday, the CTA will resume front-end boarding and fare collection
• The Chicago Resiliency Fund – Cash Assistance for Eligible Chicagoans
• City of Chicago COVID-19 Eviction Protection Ordinance
• City of Chicago COVID-19 Testing Sites
• Illinois COVID-19 Immigrant Family Support Project
• Guidance for Support Persons in Health Care Facilities (including hospitals)
• Guidance Relating to Non-Discrimination in Medical Treatment for COVID-19
• Chicago Grocery Delivery Options
• Your Special Education Rights During COVID-19
• Reasonable Accommodations During COVID-19
• Mapping the Disability Experience During COVID-19: Share Your Stories
• COVID-19 and Disability: Being a Self-Advocate and Knowing Your Rights

Accessible Tech Resources

• Remote communication options for Deaf/Hard of Hearing professionals or students
• Access strategies for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in remote meetings
• Until 6/30/2020, JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion are free of charge
• National Homework Hotline for Blind/Visually Impaired Students
• Accessibility tips for a better Zoom meeting
• Virtual event/meeting accessibility options

City and State Updates and News

• Cook County Social Vulnerability Index
• Cook County Medical Examiner COVID-19 Dashboard
• Chicago Stay at Home order FAQs
• Coronavirus.Illinois.Gov
• Chicago Department of Public Health Coronavirus Information
• Daily at 11 a.m. on Facebook or Twitter: Chicago Public Health Department live updates on COVID-19
• Fact sheets from Heartland Alliance
• For residents in Cook County, Illinois Action for Children (IAFC) has launched a temporary text messaging service to answer Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) questions during IAFC’s office closure. Text: 312-736-7390 Monday through Friday between 8:30 AM-5:00 PM. Priority will be given to first responders, health care workers, and essential workers to help them find and pay for child care.
• Chicago Launches COVID Coach Website/App
• IDHS to close remaining local office lobbies as Covid-19 peaks in Illinois; all benefits remain available
• IDHS/DRS support hotline for current and prospective customers during COVID-19 pandemic – You can call by phone or relay: 1-877-581-3690. Learn more
• Governor Pritzker’s Plan to Reopen Illinois
• Survey: City of Chicago Community Sentiment on Reopening
• Illinois Remote Covid-19 Patient Monitoring Program
• COVID-19 testing is now available for home care workers employed under the Illinois DHS-DRS Home Services Program. See this link for more details about who can get tested and how it works.

Communications Access Assistance

• A guide for Deaf/HOH community on communicating with medical staff during COVID-19
• Plain language tips for support staff – Written by folks with I/DD
• Covid-19 ASL Hotline
• Public health flyers in 30+ languages
• Letter Template To Use For Any Live News Updates Without ASL Access
• Comcast announces comprehensive COVID-19 response for users
• COVID-19 information in different languages
• COVID-19 information – ASL
• Easy Read information on COIVD-19
• COVID-19 ASL videos from the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission
• From NPR – Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus
• PBS: How to talk to your kids about Coronavirus
• Plain Language guide on COVID-19
• Medical/surgical masks to support lip-reading
• ASL videos on Covid-19 from the CDC
• Printables: Letter to communicate with law enforcement if you don’t speak English, cannot speak, or if your primary language is ASL
• Live Transcribe for IOS – The story behind the app and where to buy it
• Transcription/Note-Taking App Ottor.ai Allows for Live Transcription

Collective Care, Caregiving, and Organizing

For information on volunteering assistance, please see the Volunteer Opportunities section of the resource page. Please note that mutual aid groups, resources, or offers are not affiliated with local or state governments, professional organizations, or other verified entities. Please use caution and your best judgement when choosing to provide information to these groups or individuals.

• Donate to the Crip Fund for Covid-19
• Community Catalyst’s Guide to Organizing During Social Distancing
• COVID-19 Sex Worker Harm Reduction Resources
• Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page
• Pod mapping for mutual aid
• Template: Creating a mutual aid group
• Google Doc where immunocompromised folks can request aid
• Organizing and DIY resources from Its Going Down
• COVID Collective Care
• Coronavirus Resource Kit
• Safer Sex Kits from Howard Brown Health
• Suggested Practice for Racial Equity Rapid Response Outreach
• COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Immigrants

Coronavirus Preparedness

• Reusable masks for the disability community
• COVID-19 information for people with disabilities from the CDC
• #NoBodyIsDisposable Know Your Rights Guide to Surviving COVID-19 Triage Protocols
• How to make your own face mask
• Know Your Rights: I.C.E. and Covid-19
• Covid-19 Preparedness for the Disability Community
• Pandemic preparedness in the workplace + the ADA
• From the CDC: How to prepare and take action for COVID-19
• Preparedness checklist for individuals and households
• Template: My Coronavirus Emergency Plan
• Half Assed Disabled Prepper Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine, by Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha
• Fat-Assed Prepper Survival Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine
• COVID-19 Free Legal Answers Taskforce
• CDC Guidance on Face Coverings and How to Make One
• Funeral Guidance for Individuals and Families During COVID-19

Disability Health Information & Resources

• Reduce Prescription Costs with the Chicago RX Card
• COVID-19 Guidance for Congregate Living Facilities
• Chicago Hearing Society is offering a wide variety of curbside/mail order services.
• Guide for Staff and Residents of Congregate Settings
• Access Living and More than 140 Illinois Organizations Request COVID-19 Treatment Protocols
• What to do if you need care and you are uninsured
• Free COVID-19 Support Program for Chronic Disease Patients and Their Families
• Coronavirus Anxiety: Key Advice for Chronic Illness Patients
• Home Services Program Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
• Guidance for People at Higher Risk
• Social Security Offices are now only offering telephone and online service.
• Expansion of Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak
• What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
• Information and updates from the National Council on Independent Living on COVID-19
• Virtual AA meetings as well as a variety of remotely accessible resources for Alcoholics Anonymous members
• For LGBTQ elders and those aging with HIV: SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline
• COVID-19 and OCDAdvice and Coping Strategies
• COVID-19 sanitation best practices for the blind/visually impaired
• HIV Resource Coordination Hub
• Fast Facts: COVID-19 and People Living with HIV
• COVID-19 resources for incarcerated people
• National Disability Institute Financial Resilience Center for People with Disabilities
• A Checklist for People with Disabilities – Preparing for Hospitalization During COVID
• Cleaning service for older adults – the heavy duty chore program
• COVID-19 and Workplace Issues for People with Disabilities
• Keeping Your Wheelchair Clean During COVID-19
• COVID-19 Precautions for People in Wheelchairs

Food

• How to grocery shop with consideration for others during self-quarantine
• Dining at a Distance: Restaurants open for take-out, curbside pick-up, or delivery during Chicago’s lockdown
• Grocery stores with hours for seniors and at-risk individuals
• Find a Chicago-area food bank or pantry
• Having food delivered? Here’s how to get take-out delivered safely
• Brave Space Alliance will be operating a crisis food pantry for queer and trans folks on the south side of Chicago during the pandemic. If you would like food or other supplies dropped off at your front door, please use this form. They are prioritizing folks who are sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented Black, Brown, or Indigenous.
• Families on SNAP: Expensify.org will reimburse families on SNAP benefits to purchase additional essential goods.
• Top Box Grocery Delivery in Chicago
• Grocery Delivery – There are multiple companies that deliver groceries in Chicago. Here is a list of options including their delivery zones, potential costs, and accepted forms of payment.
• For folx on Chicago’s South and West sides: Top Box Foods is delivering produce/meat with no delivery fee. Food is offered at up 40% below retail. Top Box Foods takes SNAP and credit cards.

Get Involved – Advocacy

• #DisabilityDemands: Our coronavirus response must include disabled and low-income people

HCBS and Personal Assistants

• Remember, the “stay at home” order makes it clear that disability related services and supports are part of the essential functions needed to continue operating in every community. That includes personal care services and direct support services.
• The Division on Rehab Services has an emergency personal assistant back-up program administered through the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL). If you currently receive home services through the state and need an emergency PA due to COVID-19, you can call us at Access Living or call INCIL at 1-800-587-1227 for help.

Healthcare Guidance from the State of Illinois

• Guidance for Support Persons in Health Care Facilities (including hospitals)
• Guidance Relating to Non-Discrimination in Medical Treatment for COVID-19
• Illinois Remote Covid-19 Patient Monitoring Program
• COVID-19 testing is now available for home care workers employed under the Illinois DHS-DRS Home Services Program. See this link for more details about who can get tested and how it works.

Housing

• On-site housing and Off-site Housing for people and pets who need a safe escape from domestic violence
• CHA Request for Interim Rent Recalculation
• Summary of Federal CARES Act Eviction Moratorium
• Housing Authority of Cook County COVID-19 Related Interim Request
• Letter Template for Requesting Interim Tenant Rent Recertification
• COVID-19 resources related to housing and homelessness from Housing Action Illinois

Media

Most major news outlets have announced that all COVID-19 coverage will be available to all for free. Here are a handful of outlets with free coverage:

• Fact-checking and stopping misinformation
• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• The Washington Post
• The Atlantic
• The Chicago Tribune

Parents and Teachers

Schooling

• CPS Special Education Guidance to Remote Learning Procedures
• CPS Remote Learning Grading Guide for Parents and Families
• Legal Council for Health Justice, Frequently Asked Questions for Parents: Education and COVID-19 (Updated)
• Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services – Updated FAQ and Tips for Parents on Remote IEP Meetings
• Apoyos y Servicios para Estudiantes Diversos – Preguntas Más Frecuentes y Consejos Rápido De Padre a Padre Sobre Participación en Reuniones Remotas De IEP
• Tips for Protecting Your Child’s IEP Services During COVID-19 (English)
• Consejos para proteger los servicios IEP de su hijo(a) durante COVID-19 (Espanol)
• Diverse Learner Supports and Services during CPS Closures
• Chicago Public School District response to COVID-19
• Enrichment learning resources by grade level
• From NPR: Parenting and Coronavirus
• Q&A on providing services to students with disabilities during the COVID-19 outbreak from the U.S. Department of Education
• Math videos for supplemental instruction (with captions!)
• Scholastic for Kids at Home: Activities to keep kids reading, learning, and growing
• 24 at-home learning activities for parents and children
• There is a Social Story on Facebook to help you explain school closures to your little ones. Here’s the link to the Facebook post. You can also download it directly from the “Resources” section on the left side of this page.
• Two research-based strategy bundles for families of students with disabilities
• Special Education distance learning resources for parents and teachers
• CPS Enrichment Learning Resources 
• Illinois State Board of Education Continuing Education Resources 
• For Teachers: Accessible teaching in the time of COVID-19, and a related Twitter thread on e-learning accessibility for students with disabilities.
• For Teachers: How to provide access and accommodations to your students
• Redefine What’s Possible at Home – Support, Guidance, and Resources for Parents and Families

Activities for Kids at Home

• Stay Home. Hit Play. Video Series for Young Chicagoans
• 12 famous museums your kids can tour from your living room
• Virtual Story Time via the Brooklyn Public Library
• Headspace for kids
• Tune in to a live-stream of the animals of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• The Kids Should See This: Smart videos for curious minds of all ages
• Storyline Online: Free children’s literacy resource featuring the world’s best storytellers reading books aloud
• For kids who like to get up and moving throughout the day: GoNoodle, Good Energy at Home
• Free audiobooks for kids

Pet Aid

• Illinois Pet Food Pantry List
• Rescue Chicago is offering temporary COVID relief with basic pet supplies and preventatives
• Felines and Canines can support pet owners in need of food for their pets
• On-site housing and Off-site Housing for people and pets who need a safe escape from domestic violence
• RedRover Relief Emergency Pet Boarding Grants

Relief Funds

• Brave Space Alliance Trans Relief Fund
• Stimulus Checks: Who Gets What and How
• City of Chicago Covid-19 Housing Assistance Grant Program
• Rapid Response Layoff Assistance from Illinois Worknet Center
• Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund
• COVID-19 Critical Response Fund from Crossroads Fund
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
• One Fair Wage Emergency Fund: Assistance for restaurant worker, delivery driver, or Uber/Lyft driver who has been affected by coronavirus
• City of Chicago Emergency Rental Assistance Program
• Illinois Department of Employment Security FAQ on COVID-19 and Unemployment
• Temporary financial assistance for pregnant women/families with one or more dependent children
• Comcast has increased internet access and speed for low-income populations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Comcast has also released a comprehensive COVID-19 response plan to keep people connected to the internet.
• Supplemental Security Income Recipients Will Receive Automatic COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments
• RedRover Relief Emergency Pet Boarding Grants
• Updated IRS Guidance for SSI Recipients
• Stimulus Check Resource: Non-Predatory Accounts for Un-banked Individuals
• Updated guidance on economic impact payments from the Social Security Administration
• National Black and Pink COVID Relief Application

Self-Care

• Crisis Counselor Text Line
• Mental Health Toolkit for Coronavirus anxiety
• Grounding, meditation, and mindfulness techniques free of charge from Calm. (Suitable for kids too!)
• Mental health, grief, anxiety, and other coping resources from NAMI
• Getting emotionally organized during a crisis

Transportation

• What to do if you’re disabled and a CTA driver won’t let you board through the front door
• Information on Pace’s Response to COVID-19
  • Reminder: Until further notice, TAP is free for rides under $30. Open Taxi also dispatches accessible cabs that accept TAP.
• What the CTA is doing to mitigate risk during COVID-19
• The CTA is offering a one-time credit for remaining days on active 7 or 30 day passes

Volunteer Opportunities

• Check with your Aldermanic office. Your Ward may be developing a community relief group for your neighborhood. Look up your Ward information here.
• Sign up to provide childcare to healthcare workers in Chicago
• Brave Space Alliance COVID-19 Mutual Aid Sign-up
• Chicago COVID-19 Mutual Aid Volunteer Sign-up
• Greater Chicago Food Depository
• Lakeview Pantry
• Chicago Medical Reserve Corps
• American Red Cross
• Arts for Illinois Relief Fund 
• Chicago Citywide Cloth Mask Drive 
• Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund 
• CPS Students Compassion Fund for COVID-19 Closures 
• Chicago Service Relief
• PPE & Medical Supplies