COVID-19 Resources for the Disability Community

In light of developments in the outbreak of COVID-19 across the country, Access Living will continue to support our community in a multitude of ways, including creating and maintaining the below list of resources.

Please note: This is a living document. Information will be updated as it changes or becomes available.

Table of Contents

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Recently Added

• City of Chicago Covid-19 Housing Assistance Grant Program
• National Homework Hotline for Blind/Visually Impaired Students
• What to do if you need care and you are uninsured
• Free COVID-19 Support Program for Chronic Disease Patients and Their Families 
• Until 6/30/2020, JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion are free of charge
• Coronavirus Anxiety: Key Advice for Chronic Illness Patients
• Diverse Learner Supports and Services during CPS Closures
• Covid-19 Preparedness for the Disability Community
• Temporary financial assistance for pregnant women/families with one or more dependent children 
• COVID-19 Sex Worker Harm Reduction Resources
• Covid-29 ASL Hotline

City and State Updates and News

• Coronavirus.Illinois.Gov
• Chicago Department of Public Health Coronavirus Information
• Daily at 11 a.m. on Facebook or Twitter: Chicago Public Health Department live updates on COVID-19
• Effective 3/23/20: Chicago Park District cancellations and closures

Communications Access Assistance

•  Letter Template To Use For Any Live News Updates Without ASL Access
• Comcast announces comprehensive COVID-19 response for users
• COVID-19 information in different languages
• COVID-19 information – ASL
• Easy Read and a Social Story with information on COIVD-19
• COVID-19 ASL videos from the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission
• From NPR – Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus
• PBS: How to talk to your kids about Coronavirus
• Comcast has increased internet access and speed for low-income populations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Comcast has also released a comprehensive COVID-19 response plan to keep people connected to the internet.
• Plain Language guide on COVID-19
• Medical/surgical masks to support lip-reading
• Remote communication options for Deaf/Hard of Hearing professionals or students Access strategies for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in remote meetings

Collective Care, Caregiving, and Organizing

For information on volunteering assistance, please see the Volunteer Opportunities section of the resource page. Please note that mutual aid groups, resources, or offers are not affiliated with local or state governments, professional organizations, or other verified entities. Please use caution and your best judgement when choosing to provide information to these groups or individuals.

• Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page
• Pod mapping for mutual aid
• Template: Creating a mutual aid group
• Google Doc where immunocompromised folks can request aid
• Organizing and DIY resources from Its Going Down
• COVID Collective Care
• Coronavirus Resource Kit

Coronavirus Preparedness

• Pandemic preparedness in the workplace + the ADA
• From the CDC: How to prepare and take action for COVID-19
• Preparedness checklist for individuals and households
• Template: My Coronavirus Emergency Plan
• Half Assed Disabled Prepper Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine, by Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha
• Fat-Assed Prepper Survival Tips for Preparing for a Coronavirus Quarantine

Disability Health Information & Resources

• Home Services Program Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
• Guidance for People at Higher Risk
• Home Services Program Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
• IDHS has announced closures and modifications to their office hours. Learn more here.
• Social Security Offices are now only offering telephone and online service.
• Expansion of Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak
• What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
• Information and updates from the National Council on Independent Living on COVID-19
• Virtual AA meetings as well as a variety of remotely accessible resources for Alcoholics Anonymous members
• For LGBTQ elders and those aging with HIV: SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline
• COVID-19 and OCD: Advice and Coping Strategies
• COVID-19 sanitation best practices for the blind/visually impaired
• HIV Resource Coordination Hub
• Fast Facts: COVID-19 and People Living with HIV
• COVID-19 resources for incarcerated people

Food

• How to grocery shop with consideration for others during self-quarantine
• Dining at a Distance: Restaurants open for take-out, curbside pick-up, or delivery during Chicago’s lockdown
• Grocery stores with hours for seniors and at-risk individuals
• Find a Chicago-area food bank or pantry
• Having food delivered? Here’s how to get take-out delivered safely
• Brave Space Alliance will be operating a crisis food pantry for queer and trans folks on the south side of Chicago during the pandemic. If you would like food or other supplies dropped off at your front door, please use this form. They are prioritizing folks who are sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented Black, Brown, or Indigenous.
• Families on SNAP: Expensify.org will reimburse families on SNAP benefits to purchase additional essential goods.
• Grocery Delivery – There are multiple companies that deliver groceries in Chicago. Here are a few of the most popular:
  • Instacart
  • Shipt
  • Amazon Fresh

Get Involved – Advocacy

• #DisabilityDemands: Our coronavirus response must include disabled and low-income people

Media

Most major news outlets have announced that all COVID-19 coverage will be available to all for free. Here are a handful of outlets with free coverage:

• Fact-checking and stopping misinformation
• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• The Washington Post
• The Atlantic
• The Chicago Tribune

Parents and Teachers

Schooling

• Chicago Public School District response to COVID-19
• Enrichment learning resources by grade level
• From NPR: Parenting and Coronavirus
• Q&A on providing services to students with disabilities during the COVID-19 outbreak from the U.S. Department of Education
• Math videos for supplemental instruction (with captions!)
• Scholastic for Kids at Home: Activities to keep kids reading, learning, and growing
• 24 at-home learning activities for parents and children
• There is a Social Story on Facebook to help you explain school closures to your little ones. Here’s the link to the Facebook post. You can also download it directly from the “Resources” section on the left side of this page.
• Two research-based strategy bundles for families of students with disabilities
• Special Education distance learning resources for parents and teachers
• For Teachers: Accessible teaching in the time of COVID-19, and a related Twitter thread on e-learning accessibility for students with disabilities.
• For Teachers: How to provide access and accommodations to your students

Activities for Kids at Home

•  12 famous museums your kids can tour from your living room
• Virtual Story Time via the Brooklyn Public Library
• Headspace for kids
• Tune in to a live-stream of the animals of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• The Kids Should See This: Smart videos for curious minds of all ages
• Storyline Online: Free children’s literacy resource featuring the world’s best storytellers reading books aloud
• For kids who like to get up and moving throughout the day: GoNoodle, Good Energy at Home
• Free audiobooks for kids

Pet Aid

• Rescue Chicago is offering temporary COVID relief with basic pet supplies and preventatives
• Felines and Canines can support pet owners in need of food for their pets

Relief Funds

• Rapid Response Layoff Assistance from Illinois Worknet Center
• Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund
• COVID-19 Critical Response Fund from Crossroads Fund
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
• One Fair Wage Emergency Fund: Assistance for restaurant worker, delivery driver, or Uber/Lyft driver who has been affected by coronavirus
• City of Chicago Emergency Rental Assistance Program
• Illinois Department of Employment Security FAQ on COVID-19 and Unemployment

Self-Care

• Crisis Counselor Text Line
• Mental Health Toolkit for Coronavirus anxiety
• Grounding, meditation, and mindfulness techniques free of charge from Calm. (Suitable for kids too!)
• Mental health, grief, anxiety, and other coping resources from NAMI
• Getting emotionally organized during a crisis

Transportation

• Information on Pace’s Response to COVID-19
• What the CTA is doing to mitigate risk during COVID-19
• The CTA is offering a one-time credit for remaining days on active 7 or 30 day passes

Volunteer Opportunities

• Check with your Aldermanic office. Your Ward may be developing a community relief group for your neighborhood. Look up your Ward information here.
• Sign up to provide childcare to healthcare workers in Chicago
• Brave Space Alliance COVID-19 Mutual Aid Sign-up
• Chicago COVID-19 Mutual Aid Volunteer Sign-up