**This campaign has been updated to include the new color scheme** |
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CDHD COVID Vaccine Access Program |
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Due to low vaccine rates across the country for all populations, including individuals with disabilities, the Administration for Community Living provided the opportunity to write for grant funding, to develop activities to increase these rates, to several state-level disability agencies. The Center on Disabilities and Human Development (CDHD) decided to write for these funds and quickly put a plan together focused on popup vaccine site support, start-up funding for COVID-19 information video phone line, and communication access kits for vaccine sites.
Popup Vaccine Site
Making vaccine-sites conveniently available to Idahoans with disabilities is one of the hallmark activities on the grant. CDHD staff have participated in the popup site work with other agencies, provided a vaccine site access kit, and paid for such things as advertising.
Start-up Funding
Asking questions about COVID-19 can be very challenging for the deaf community. The Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, understanding this need, asked for start-up funds for set up the nation’s second- separate phone line that is exclusively for the deaf community statewide focused on vaccinations and COVID-19 information. A representative will answer questions and share information in ASL. The C-VAP program will be working collaboratively with the Council to cover the one time direct connect costs to set up a server/platform for interactive video response filming, training, and registering a toll-free number to route to platform.
Vaccine Communication Access Kits
Often people think of site access from a mobility perspective; however, functional barriers are also challenging. These obstacles can be addressed through accessibility kits that includes assistive technology to support vision, hearing, cognition, and communication for individuals with disabilities.
· The kits contain vision supports such as large print and embossed vaccine information as well as a handheld magnifier.
· Flexible hearing tools include a Pockettalker personal amplifier with headphones and disposable earpiece covers, clear face masks for vaccine site workers, and markers with a laminated writing board. ASL information will also be provided.
· Cognition and communication resources include plain language resources on COVID-19 and vaccines as well as a laminated communication board.
The placement of the kits will occur with support from our regional health departments.
The Vaccine Access Program provides multiple ways, in which Idahoans can access vaccination sites and COVID-19 information through local popup vaccine sites, an exclusive ASL “hotline”, or functional access kits. Each of these activities addresses unique barriers that can be lowered with thoughtful implementation.
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Annual Summer Institute Goes Virtual |
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“Literacy for Students with Complex Disabilities: How Does It Look and How Do We Get There?” was the title of this year’s annual summer institute. The two-day virtual training was presented by Kathee Scoggin on August 3-4, 2021. Forty-three teachers and support personnel from Idaho and 12 additional states attended the training as well as teachers from Guatemala and Sau Paulo, Brazil.
The sessions included information on how to define and think about literacy in broad terms and not just reading and writing. Participants were introduced to a variety of topics on literacy which were oftentimes accompanied by video examples. Some of the topics presented over the two days included: how to assess children at an emergent literacy level, a literacy skills checklist, strategies for developing concepts, steps to literacy, how to make experience books, and data collection. Participants were given a variety of handouts to print and use for planning and instruction.
The participants took an active role in the training by answering questions in the Zoom chat box about each topic and giving suggestions and information about their own teaching experience. The speaker received “rave” reviews from the participants including, “Amazing! So excited to start school,” “Very valuable. Great materials, ideas, and resources were shared,” “What a great webinar.”
Ms. Scoggin lives in Tucson, Arizona. She is currently a consultant who specializes in the area of literacy and communication for children with significant disabilities including deaf-blindness. She was previously co-director of Washington Sensory Disabilities Services.
The annual summer institute is sponsored by the Idaho Project for Children and Youth with Deaf-Blindness, the Special Education Section at the Idaho State Department of Education, and Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind.
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CDHD Logo: we've got a new look! |
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The CDHD has launched a new look! After much consideration, conversation and feedback, we developed a new logo and color scheme. You’ll see these changes rolled out across the CDHD and our communications in the coming days, from our business cards to our website.
Representing the CDHD
Our values and goals are an important part of who we are. We wanted our new logo to encapsulate that to create a symbol that truly represents the CDHD and what we stand for.
This new logo draws on the symbolism of its shapes and colors to add deeper meaning and importance. The triangle, for example, symbolizes positive energy, light and power. We’ve used five of them.
Individually, each one represents a core function of the CDHD. Together, they form a collection of bold, angular peaks that evoke our famous mountain ranges in recognition of our role as the UCEDD for the state of Idaho.
And finally, the colors are dominated by blue tones often associated with trust, sincerity, imagination and inspiration – all sentiments that we aspire to instill in everything we do.
Developing a new logo
While today is the first day that we’re sharing our new logo, the process actually began many months ago.
Toward the end of 2020, a small group of employees – aptly named the CDHD logo team – got together to discuss the prospect of creating a new logo. After reviewing our resources and requirements, it was settled. A new logo would go ahead, provided that it:
· looks clean and contemporary
· features a versatile design that will remain modern and relevant
· represents the CDHD appropriately.
All potential designs were completed in-house and went through a thorough review and elimination process. This included presentations to leadership teams, CDHD staff and our Community Advisory Committee, providing valuable feedback that helped refine the final vision.
In the end, voices were heard! Votes were cast! And our new logo emerged.
Now the fun part begins. We get to share it with all of you.
Our new look will steadily be applied to everything that has to do with the CDHD, so keep your eye out. We’re excited to share our new look with you and hope that you love it as much as we do.
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In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association for University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), Act Early Idaho has worked to examine and expand early identification efforts across multiple programs serving families with very young children in Idaho, with specific considerations for impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an initial activity, Act Early Idaho completed a needs assessment to better understand current, emerging, and changing strengths, needs, barriers, and opportunities for early identification in Idaho in the context of COVID-19. The Act Early Idaho Project is led in tandem by Act Early Ambassador Melissa Crist, IdahoSTARS Director and Dr. Noreen Womack, Idaho AAP Early Childhood Champion. This initiative works to improve and increase developmental monitoring and screening of children from birth to 5 years old across the state of Idaho. In a Needs Assessment conducted in the Fall of 2020 by Dr. Janice Fletcher it was found that due to the COVID-19 pandemic development monitoring, screening, and referrals were down in numbers state-wide. Early intervention is imperative to treating and diagnosing any developmental delays of young children. A statewide team of early childhood professionals was assembled to carry out a work plan developed by the project co-leads. The Idaho team was designated as a COVID- 19 Response Team by the CDC and created goals to build a system that overcame the barriers parents and families faced due to COVID-19. With an increased need for virtual resources, a webpage for the project was created as home base for resources. At the beginning of the project, a digital Resiliency Toolkit was developed by the team. The toolkit was built using the “Strengthening Families” framework to provide resources to caregivers and parents. The toolkit was distributed across websites and other virtual formats to families.
Over the course of the year, “Learn the Signs. Act Early materials were distributed across the state to hospitals, childcare centers, libraries, home-visiting programs, and WIC clinics. Materials on developmental monitoring were also given to parents, families and training staff. Materials include children’s books with milestones embedded for parents, developmental checklists for children 2 months to 5 years, tip sheets about discussing developmental concerns for professionals and parents with the purpose of educating people about the importance of monitoring and screening. Over 24,000 materials have been disseminated in the last year to stakeholders across Idaho.
To address the need of parent involvement in early intervention developmental monitoring, the team has created two short trainings for parents. The trainings focus on what developmental monitoring is and what to do if there is a concern. Each training contains resources targeted towards children from birth to 5 years of age.
The Act Early Idaho project has received funding for another year to continue their work with state partners. In the coming year, the focus will shift to the next steps of early intervention including increased screenings and access to services for families. The Act Early staff would like to thank all their team partners for their passion and work on this project. They not only met their goals but exceeded their plans and look forward to another year of increasing awareness.
For more information about the work of Act Early Idaho, including the developmental monitoring trainings and materials, visit the Act Early Idaho webpage.
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September
6 - CDHD Closed in observation of Labor Day
October
November
25-26 - CDHD Closed in observation of Thanksgiving
December
23-31 - CDHD closed to public
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