skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Groups Seek COVID Vaccine Priority for Arizonans with Disabilities

play audio
Play

Friday, March 5, 2021   

PHOENIX, Ariz. - A coalition is calling on Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona's Department of Health Services to prioritize access to the COVID-19 vaccine for people living with disabilities.

The groups want state officials to amend the current vaccination plan to include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on reaching those who are homebound.

Jon Meyers, executive director of The Arc of Arizona, said the state's current plan doesn't include some people who are among the most susceptible to the novel coronavirus.

"For too long, the state has ignored the vulnerabilities of people with disabilities," said Meyers. "The time has come for ADHS and the governor's office to remedy this situation. The time has come for the disability community to be recognized, respected and protected."

The coalition, led by the Arizona Center for Disability Law, has sent a letter to the governor asking him to immediately make Arizonans with disabilities eligible to be vaccinated. As of yesterday, the governor had not responded to their request.

At a news conference, members of several advocacy groups discussed the problems some people experience in getting vaccinated.

Louise Bowden, executive director of the Downs Syndrome Network of Arizona and the mother of a 23-year-old with Down Syndrome, said the state needs a plan to seek out people like her son.

"Compared to the general population, people with Down Syndrome are four times more likely to die from COVID," said Bowden. "Many states are already following the CDC recommendations. Unfortunately, Arizona is not one of them."

Currently, state-sponsored vaccination stations are in public venues, like stadiums, which can only be accessed by car.

The coalition wants the state to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and improve outreach to people whose conditions make it harder for them to get the COVID vaccine.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021