Upcoming Events: COVID-19 Accessible Vaccination Events and Public Forums

COVID-19 Vaccination Events

During 2021, we received support and grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to help people with disabilities, their families, and direct care providers access COVID-19 vaccines. We are working to encourage vaccinations among older adults and people with disabilities by providing education, connection to available services and removing barriers to accessible vaccines. This program allows us to help you in many ways, including:

• Assistance with scheduling vaccination appointments
• Arranging accessible transportation to a vaccination appointment
• Providing a reminder for a second vaccination appointment
• Connecting to in-home vaccination options
• Answering questions regarding COVID-19 vaccinations

In addition to these ways, we are hosting fully accessible pop up vaccination events across the state. Two upcoming events will be in Volusia and Sarasota counties. At these vaccination events, your county’s local health department will offer both doses of the vaccine and boosters. There will be helpful staff and American Sign Language interpreters present to ensure accessibility. You do not need proof of a disability to get your vaccine. If you don’t live in either county, stay tuned for more vaccination dates near you. Do you live in Sarasota county? Consider attending the upcoming vaccine pop up event:

Sarasota County

Saturday, January 29th

11 am - 1 pm

For more details about these events, visit our Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccination Events page on our website.

Additionally, if you have questions about COVID or the vaccines, we’re happy to help. Call us at 1-800-342-0823, TDD: 800-346-4127, or visit our website’s page COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance for Floridians with Disabilities for more information.

Public Forums

Disability Rights Florida wants your input about what issues matter most to the disability community. With your feedback, we will design and build our strategic long-term 5-year plan. This plan guides the work that we will do until 2027. This year, we will meet with the disability community directly at public forums across the state to gain more insight into what issues matter most to you for us to implement in the upcoming years. Popular topics that you’ve told us to focus on in the past include community integration, housing, accessible emergency planning, education, abuse and neglect, supported decision-making, and more.

Here’s a look into the upcoming events:

• March 12 in Ft. Lauderdale: There will be a special focus on education and guest speaker Haley Moss, Florida’s first openly autistic attorney, will give a keynote.
• April 9 in Ft. Myers: There will be a focus on disability services available on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Renee Shipton, Executive Director of the Center for Independent Living of Southwest Florida, will be speaking. After the public forum, we will have a resource fair.
• May 12 in Pensacola: There will be a focus on transition from military to civilian life. Speaker Lisa Kirk, Ret. Lt. Col in USAF who retired early after being diagnosed with MS will give a guest speech.
• June 23 in Jacksonville: There will be a focus on employment with guest speaker Neil Romano, past chair and current member of the National Council on Disabilities.

Our staff thoroughly appreciates your input and looks forward to meeting with you in a few months.

Visit our website to learn more about our 2017-2022 Long Range Plan.