Palo Alto, CA, November 19, 2020—As a healthcare funder that focuses on promoting comprehensive care for adults with developmental disabilities, WITH understands how deeply the intellectual and developmental disabilities community is impacted by COVID-19.
A recent study that was reported in the New York Times found that people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities are three times more likely to die if they have Covid-19. In response to the continued need, WITH has awarded a second round of COVID-19 response grants. In this round we invited 37 of our current and past grantees to apply for $25,000 grants through the COVID-19 Response Fund. Applicants were asked to provide a brief summary of what their organization would do with $25,000 to respond to COVID-19 and its impact on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
WITH Foundation is pleased to provide funding for the following projects:
Baylor College of Medicine Transition Medicine Clinic
While it is known that COVID has disproportionately impacted the health of people with IDD and racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States (1–6), the impact of COVID on the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers of people with IDD and the potential race/ethnic disparities for these caregivers has not been described. The Race/Ethnicity Disparities in COVID-19-Related Quality of Life (QOL) for Caregivers of Adults with Developmental Disabilities project will determine differences in COVID-related QOL between non-LatinX Caucasian caregivers and African American or LatinX caregivers, describe the COVID experiences of a diverse group of caregivers, determine the association between caregiver and individual with IDD characteristics and Peds QL 4.0 QOL scores and COVID-19 experience themes and connect caregivers to the support group From Stress to Strength.
Center for Public Representation
As the country braces for the third wave of the coronavirus, the Center for Public Representation (CPR) continues to challenge ventilator rationing protocols, testing priorities, and individual state crisis plans that discriminate against aging adults and people with disabilities. Going forward, CPR’s ongoing nationwide advocacy will be critical as pharmaceutical companies roll out long-awaited vaccines. WITH Foundation’s support will fortify CPR’s efforts to ensure that people with disabilities are accorded equal and safe access to treatment. The funding will also help defray costs as CPR works with families affected by COVID-19, with disability rights organizations, and with advocates to analyze crisis plans to overturn discriminatory practices that threaten the lives and livelihoods of people with IDD and other disabilities.
Drexel’s Algorithms of Nursing Care for Hospitalized Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder project funded by WITH in May 2019 improved care by training nurses to integrate knowledge of ASD with care planning and delivery. The project resulted in the development of decision-making tools to be used by healthcare providers (HCP) who interact with patients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These tools were adapted to facilitate and ensure effective and efficient patient care with vulnerable subgroups and for different health care services and HCP/patient encounters including technology-mediated, medically necessary appointments that are ongoing and likely to continue during the pandemic. Funding from WITH Foundation will be used to build teaching modules using these tools including training sessions for HCP or others who are tasked with performing the urgent health care services of Covid-19 symptom assessment, evaluation of the need for isolation or quarantine, and contact tracing (CoT) among individuals diagnosed with ASD.
The Arc embarked on a joint project with the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) to amplify the experiences of communities of color during the pandemic through a series of issue briefs on the intersection of race and disability. Funding from WITH Foundation will be used to build on the effort to elevate the voices and experiences of people of color with IDD and their supporters, through a series of short videos, blogs, and other materials. The funding will also ensure the accessibility of these materials to help promote continued education and support for self-advocacy. These stories and supporting materials will be disseminated across the Arc’s chapter network through a variety of platforms, including social media, and will be shared with the larger disability community to support ongoing advocacy efforts nationwide.
Learn about the first round of COVID-19 response funding click here
Thank you to the teams and individuals involved in each of these projects. WITH appreciates the work that ALL of our grantees are doing to address the challenges of this pandemic.
To learn more about the work of our grantees, please visit: withfoundation.org/previous-grant-recipients.