March 30, 2021
CP State News
We're here for you! 
30-year-olds eligible for vaccine starting March 30
At yesterday's press conference, the Governor announced a new expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in the State. Beginning Tuesday, March 30, at 8 a.m., all New Yorkers 30 years-of-age and older can begin to schedule appointments and get vaccinated. Furthermore, beginning Tuesday, April 6, New Yorkers 16 years-of-age and older can begin to schedule appointments and get vaccinated.
CP State hosting series on Individual Advocacy
CP State is proud to offer “Teena’s Trunk,” a series on Individual Advocacy presented by Teena Fitzroy. Teena is a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of six, who just also happens to have cerebral palsy.
“Teena’s Trunk” poignantly recounts Teena Fitzroy’s often funny, sometimes heart-breaking, personal journey. Audiences experience Teena’s struggles and successes in growing up while learning to live with a disability.
These sessions are free and open to everyone. The initial session is geared toward administration, but the series is great for family members and self-advocates, so please share this information widely in your communities.
Participants should email Tim Ferguson at TFerguson@cpstate.org for the seminar links. All sessions are on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. 
  • April 6: Teena’s Trunk for Admins
  • April 13: Teena’s Trunk for DSPs, Families and Individuals
  • April 20: Family Members with I/DD
  • April 27: Guardianship & SSI
  • May 11: Medical Advocacy.
  • May 25: Domestic Abuse
There's still time!
Make sure the NYS budget supports people with I/DD
The one-house budget proposals prioritize people with I/DD, but we need to make sure it stays that way!
The Governor and your legislators must hear from you by April 1 to make sure that support for people with disabilities and the people who care for them stay in the state budget!
Forward this link - www.cpstate.org/advocacy - to all staff, families, Board members and volunteers.
Volume is key – you can send your letters every 24 hours for maximum impact!
OPWDD reminder: Complete vaccination surveys weekly
OPWDD is currently reviewing vaccination data that has been submitted by providers of service through the weekly surveys.
Please ensure your agency is completing vaccination surveys weekly for each site/program in your agency. In some instances, this is not happening consistently. 
OPWDD will begin reaching out to providers where data reveals submissions are not occurring weekly. 
This data collection and reporting task is critical to the health and safety of individuals receiving services, their families, and the staff who support them.
Thank you.
If you have questions or need assistance, please email: covidreporting@opwdd.ny.gov.
Black healthcare workers talk vaccine concerns
Between Us, About Us kicks off with an open and honest conversation between W. Kamau Bell and Black doctors, nurses and researchers that gets to the heart of Black people’s questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
This new campaign from KFF’s Greater Than COVID and the Black Coalition Against COVID launches with 50 FAQs designed to dispel misinformation and provide accessible facts about the vaccines from Black health care workers.
CP of NYS | cpstate.org