FACT SHEET: Administration Announces New Actions to Address the Needs of People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Response to and Recovery from COVID-⁠19

OrganizationWhite House
Last Updated:
8/1/2023

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https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/24/fact-sheet-administration-announces-new-actions-to-address-the-needs-of-people-with-disabilities-and-older-adults-in-response-to-and-recovery-from-covid-19/
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The White House, February 24, 2022 Press Release

Moving forward, the Administration will take several key steps to further our work to ensure that disabled individuals, regardless of where they live or the level of community transmission of the virus, have equitable access to COVID-19 testing, masks, and other critical mitigation strategies. The Administration remains committed to implementing these policies and developing additional policies in close collaboration with the disability community – keeping equity and accessibility at the center of our COVID-19 response and beyond.

The Administration will:

  • Equip schools with guidance and support to keep vulnerable students safe and learning in-person.
  • Expand the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Community Living’s Disability Information and Access Line to support people with disabilities who face difficulty using or cannot use a self-test. The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL), available at 1-888-677-1199, is launching a new initiative to support disabled individuals who need assistance using at-home tests distributed by the Administration or support in finding alternatives to at-home testing.
  • Launch new COVID-19 testing guidance in American Sign Language and review all existing COVID-19 guidance to confirm accessibility for all disabled individuals.
  • Execute a new effort to develop at-home COVID-19 tests that are accessible to all.
  • Incentivize all at-home test manufacturers to prioritize accessibility of at-home tests.
  • Request accessible instructions from manufacturers who have received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
  • Distribute masks to disabled individuals through community-based organizations and jurisdictions.
  • Call on states to directly distribute high-quality masks through community-based organizations serving individuals with disabilities.

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