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Tags Posts tagged with "Vaccine Hesitancy"

Vaccine Hesitancy

This fall, the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals announced that it would be conducting a comprehensive campaign across the country to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among direct support professionals. This initiative is part of a cooperative agreement with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During this year-long campaign, NADSP is launching a variety of outreach activities including fact sheets, blogs, podcasts, and the production of public service announcements (PSAs).

In November, NADSP’s Director of Educational Services, John Raffaele, worked with filmmaker Jerry Smith and producer Pete McCauley of the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota to capture some important and thought-provoking conversations.

This video is the first of many PSAs featuring DSPs, family members, and people receiving supports who shared varying perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination. Uwvie Obodo, a direct support professional at the Center for Family Support  in New York City, shares his experience below.

To learn more about John’s experiences during the first phase of filming, and the new insight he gained into why 26% of DSPs remain unvaccinated, visit the “Read More” section.


COVID-19 Webinars

Since the onset of COVID-19, NADSP has hosted a number of webinars about the pandemic — specifically covering its relationship to the role and responsibilities of direct support professionals.

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) has been selected as one of nine national organizations to receive funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through a cooperative agreement with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The comprehensive nationwide campaign will help improve the vaccination rates of the direct support workforce and people with disabilities.

According to a recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration and the NADSP, 26% of DSPs who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain unvaccinated.

As the premiere trusted source of direct support professionals (DSPs), the NADSP will conduct targeted vaccine outreach activities in the disability community to increase vaccination rates among people with disabilities across the lifespan, their family caregivers, and DSPs.

Read More Here


Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign: Partner Organizations

As stated above, the NADSP is among the nine national leaders in the disability and human services field selected to be a part of the coordinated initiative to address vaccine hesitancy. This campaign has been established through a cooperative agreement with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The partner organizations include:

  • American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR)
  • The Arc
  • Autism Society
  • Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
  • Family Voices
  • National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)
  • National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)
  • Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)
  • Spina Bifida Association