Questions about COVID-19?

Visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH for answers.

---

This page provides links to information that may be helpful to people with developmental disabilities. The links are organized into the following topic areas:

• Early Intervention
• Employment
• Family Support
• Financial Assistance
• Health Impact - COVID Long-Haulers
• Legal Rights and Policy
• Mental Health Supports
• Plain Language Resources
• Resource Collections
• Service Animals
• Special Education
• Vaccine Information

---

Early Intervention

• Guidance Docments: Ohio Early Intervention's list of guidance documents for programs, including guidance on issues pertaining to COVID-19.

Employment

• Coronavirus Resources: From the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.
• COVID-19 and Job Applicants and Employees with Disabilities: Provides information on emerging practices to employ and protect workers with disabilities. Written by the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion.
• COVID-19/Emergency Preparedness Resource Guide For Kinship Families and Grandfamilies: List of resources gathered by the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Advisory Council.
• COVID-19 Plain Language Guidance for Employees with Developmental Disabilities: This booklet uses plain language to describe many of the rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that keep people safe and health at work.

Family Support

• COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Information from the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.
• COVID-19 Risk/Benefit Discussion Guide for Activities Outside the Home or Facility: From the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilites. 
• Support for Families During the COVID-19 Crisis: The OCALI Autism Center has created some social narratives to use at home during the COVID-19 crisis. Social narratives teach the individual appropriate social practices that can also help regulate behavior. 
• Supporting Families During the Pandemic - Four Therapists Share Their Wisdom: This video features four Early Intervention practitioners from the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, working with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), Dr. Larry Edelman, and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), who share their experiences and advice about using video conferencing to deliver home visits.
• Taking Charge of Your Child’s Care Plan During COVID-19: This resource is a checklist for families to use to prepare for potential hospitalizations of their loved one with a disability. This was developed by the University of Cincinnati UCEDD.
• What COVID Means for Families: This information is provided by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

Financial Assistance

• COVID-19 Financial Assistance Programs: The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities provides a list of resources and information that could be beneficial for family members, direct support professionals (DSPs), and agency providers. 
• COVID-19 - Long-term Symptoms: A video from the U.S. Department of Labor explaining that people experiencing long-term symptoms of COVID-19 may be entitled to workplace accommodations to help them stay on the job.
• Frequently Asked Questions about COVID 19 Stimulus Payments and STABLE Accounts: Information provided by the Ohio Treasurer's Office, in collaboration with several Ohio disability-related organizations including the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.
• Home Relief Grant: Starting November 2, 2020, the state of Ohio, working with local Community Action Agencies, will help eligible Ohioans who are behind on rent, mortgage, and water and/or sewer utility bills catch up on past payments back to April 1, 2020 and provide additional assistance through December 30, 2020. Ohioans will be able to apply for assistance through their local Community Action Agency starting November 2, 2020. 
• Learning Aid Ohio: Learning Aid Ohio aims to provide supplemental learning support for students with IEPs during this unique school year. Starting on November 2, 2020, eligible families can apply for up to $1,500 in grant funding to cover costs of tutoring and other needed supports. 
• Ohio STABLE Account COVID-19 Update: Details about how you can deposit your stimulus payment by depositing it into your STABLE account to avoid the stimulus check being considered an asset. 

Health Impact - COVID Long-Haulers

• COVID-19 Long Haulers and the Americans with Disabilities Act: The Job Accommodation Network addresses how the Americans with Disabilities Act may cover individuals who had COVID-19 and are experiencing ongoing symptoms. 
• Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557: Guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Health Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice.
• Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A resource to support children, students, educators, schools, service providers, and families from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Resources for People with Long COVID: From the Administration for Community Living.

Legal Rights and Policy

• Civil Rights Considerations During COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Efforts: FEMA’s Office of Equal Rights provides this checklist for as a tool to assist States in understanding and fulfilling their obligations to provide access to vaccine-related programs, activities, and services in a nondiscriminatory manner.
• Discharge Planning and Care Coordination during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A tool from the U.S. Health & Human Services to support nurses, social workers, case managers, and others conducting effective discharge planning and care coordination for adults with disabilities who received care or treatment for COVID-19 illness in an acute care setting, are no longer COVID-19 positive, and require continuation or reconnection to supports and services.
• Do You Know Your Rights with COVID-19?: A fact sheet from the Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities.
• Safeguard Against Disability Discrimination During COVID-19: Fact sheet developed for healthcare professionals.
• Trusting the Team Process - Balancing Rights, Health, and Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Advocacy & Protective Services, Inc., the Ohio Association of County Boards of DD Ohio Health Care Association, the Ohio Provider Resource Association, and Values and Faith Alliance compiled recommendations for teams engaged in discussions about home and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities. 

• Your Healthcare Rights During COVID-19: Fact sheets from Disability Rights Ohio.

Mental Health Support

• Emotional Wellbeing in Children and Youth: The National Academies has developed a suite of tools to help children and youth manage feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness.
• How to Support Your Child’s Health and Well-Being During Ohio’s Ordered School-Building Closure: Information from the Ohio Department of Education.
• Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services: The Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (ODMHAS) has information on their website on how to find support, including the use of telehealth services from your phone, tablet or computer.
• Ohio Crisis Text Line: To use this, text the word "4HOPE" to 741 741 to be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor within 5 minutes. This service is available 24/7. 
• Reach Out / Tele-Friend: A service provided by the Ohio Self Determination Association.
• Staying Connected Check-in Service: The Staying Connected program through the Ohio Department of Aging provides service provides a free "Friendly Chat" which is a daily check-in by phone for Ohioans age 60 or older.
• The Center for Start Services: COVID-19 resources from a national organization that focuses on mental health aspects of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Plain Language Resources

• Corona Virus: A Book for Children (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)
• Corona Virus: What is It and What Can You Do? (The Arc Maryland and Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council)
• COVID-19 ASL Videos (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• COVID-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities (SARTAC)
  • Spanish version: Información de COVID-19 Por y Para Personas con Discapacidades
• COVID-19 Resource Toolkit (Wisconsin Board of Developmental Disabilities)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information in Plain Language (SARTAC)
• Easy to Read COVID-19 Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• How Do I Get Tested For COVID-19? (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center)
• How to Stay Healthy from COVID-19 (California State Council on Developmental Disabilities
  • Spanish version: Cómo Mantenerse Saludable de COVID-19
• I Can Wear a Mask! (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center)
• Important Things to Know about COVID-19 (Lurie Institute)
• Plain Language Information on COVID-19 (Ohio Department of Develomental Disabilities)
• Plain Language on Ohio's COVID-19 Vaccination Program (Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities)
• Social Distancing: A Social Story for Visual Learners (University of Cincinnati UCEDD)

Resource Collections

• Administration for Community Living: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Cincinnati Children's UCEDD: COVID-19 Information for People with Disabilities
• Disability Rights Ohio: COVID-19
• Institute for Community Inclusion: COVID-19 Publications and Resources
• National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems: NCAPPS COVID-19 Resource
• National Federation of the Blind: NFB-NEWSLINE - COVID-19 Information
• Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities: COVID-19 Guidance
• Ohio Department of Health: Medical Moments
• Pandemic Help Line for People with Disabilities: Project Connect or 1-888-847-3209
• The Arc of the United States: COVID-19 Resources for People With Disabilities, Families, and Service Providers

Service Animals

• Guidance for Handlers of Service and Therapy Animals: Guidance from the CDC about the potential spread of the virus from humans to animals.

Special Education

• Back to School Resources During COVID-19: Information from the American Occupational Therapy Association.
• Decision Guide for Families with Special Needs: Information in English and Spanish by Standford Medicine's Safe Communities of Learning.
• Learning Aid Ohio: Learning Aid Ohio aims to provide supplemental learning support for students with IEPs during this unique school year. Starting on November 2, 2020, eligible families can apply for up to $1,500 in grant funding to cover costs of tutoring and other needed supports. 
• Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A resource to support children, students, educators, schools, service providers, and families from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Online vs. In-School Learning: A tip sheet from the University of Cincinnati UCEDD on what to consider for children with special education and/or healthcare needs.
• Remote Learning for Students with Disabilities Who Have Complex Needs: Information from the Ohio Department of Education.
• School, IDEA and COVID-19 for the 2021-2022 School Year: Tips and resources from the University of Cincinnati UCEDD about safely attending school. 
• Special Education Fact Sheet related to COVID-19: A tip sheet from the University of Cincinnati UCEDD on what to consider with re-entry to school, including how your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) should be fully implemented.
• State COVID-19 Response: Youth with Disabilties: From CAPE-Youth, a collaboration between The Council of State Governments, the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University, and the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Vaccine Information

• Common Questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine (Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities)
• COVID-19 Best Practice Information: Considerations for People with Disabilities (FEMA)
• COVID-19 Self-Test at Home Instructions Graphic (available in 12 languages from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts)
• COVID-19 Vaccine - Access and Rights (Disability Rights Ohio)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Third Doses and Boosters (Cincinnati UCEDD)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information in Plain Language (SARTAC)
• Get Out the Vaccine (National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities) 
• Getting Vaccinated: A Social Story for Visual Learners (Cincinnati UCEDD)
• The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to anyone 5 years of age and older (Infographic from Cincinnati UCEDD)
• Vaccination Toolkit (Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities)