Disability advocates call on Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona’s Department of Health Services to prioritize access to the coronavirus vaccine for persons with disabilities.
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been left out of the priority groups for the coronavirus vaccine in Arizona.
Arizona health departments will now prioritize at-risk groups and persons with disabilities as their vaccine allocations increase.
Disability advocates held a virtual event expressing their concerns about how the state has prioritized the coronavirus vaccine eligibility.
“This hybrid approach introduces age categories, but it completely ignores people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those who live with Down syndrome,” Sey In, staff attorney with the Arizona Center for Disability Law, said.
Last week, the Arizona Center for Disability Law and other disability rights organizations sent a letter to Gov. Doug Ducey requesting changes to the state’s coronavirus vaccination plan.
They want to see improved accessibility and ensure effective communication for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, and develop a plan to vaccinate those who are homebound.
“Among groups at higher risk of dying from coronavirus, people with Down syndrome stand out,” Kensorg said, as she described that the Centers for Disease Control has added Down syndrome to its list of high-risk groups. Barriers faced among the disabled community are not few, either.
Disability advocates have invited the Governor’s Office to engage in conversation with disability rights organizations to ensure equitable access to vaccines.
To date, the Governor’s Office has not responded to the letter.
