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Vernon working with state group to host vaccine clinic for disabled

Journal Inquirer - 6/2/2021

Jun. 2—VERNON — Town and state officials have announced a partnership to facilitate the first statewide effort to offer vaccine clinics to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Vernon and the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities plan to offer eight "fully accessible" clinics throughout the state, with the first one occurring next week in Vernon, William Meier, director of the town's Regional Vaccination Program, said.

"Most people think that means physical disabilities and handicap accessibility, but what makes this different and unique is it goes way beyond that," Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. "All of our clinics will be not only accessible for people with physical disabilities, but also sensory appropriate for people with other disabilities."

Walter Glomb, director of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities, said the clinics are meant to address "unique challenges" faced by people with developmental disabilities.

"To reach this community, a more creative approach is needed," Glomb said.

Purcaro said those with certain developmental disabilities have difficulties in the louder, more crowded environments of standard clinics that are open to the general public. By working with experts to create a more appropriate space for those individuals, officials hope to reach an underserved population, he said.

"There are people with disabilities statewide who may be hesitant or unable to attend because they don't have this highly specialized accessibility available to them, and we want to make sure they have equal opportunity and access to be vaccinated," he said.

Meier said the time and location of the first clinic are to be determined, adding that the town and Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities will plan future clinics at locations around Connecticut by working with various partners and "assessing existing infrastructure of systems that are in place" that would be conducive to the clinics.

"We have a lot of clinical experience, but a lot of agencies have expertise in outreach," Meier said, adding that the idea is to collaborate with different groups to "maximize the reach and ultimately vaccinate as many people as we can."

Meier added that town officials are "glad to be able to bring our experience and expertise statewide and further develop our capacity by working with disability experts on both accommodations and outreach, and it helps us to achieve one of our primary goals, which is to break down barriers and make the vaccination process simple for anyone who wants to be vaccinated."

Locally, the town is partnering with Opportunity Works Connecticut, a Vernon nonprofit that helps people with developmental disabilities find employment, to develop the necessary accommodations for the clinics.

"We bring a wealth of expertise, experience, and knowledge of best practices for serving people with disabilities," Rene Lambert, the organization's executive director, said. "We look forward to working with the town of Vernon in creating sensory appropriate clinics that will ensure the people we serve receive the best care possible."

Mayor Daniel Champagne said partnering with the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities "fits right into" the mission of the town's vaccination program, which he said has focused on "breaking down barriers to reach people."

For updates and coverage of Vernon and Stafford, follow Anthony Branciforte on Twitter: @ABranciforte_JI, Facebook: Reporter Anthony Branciforte, and Instagram: @JI_Anthony1.

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