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The South Carolina Vaccine Access Program
Last update: 8/22/2022
Please be advised that the Federal Public Health Emergency ended on May 11, 2023. This will impact some of the facts found in our FAQ below. Updates are coming soon!
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1 in 3 people in South Carolina have a disability
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Of the disability community in South Carolina:
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33.6% of people with disabilities are Black
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35.1% of people with disabilities are Latinx
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48.7% of people with disabilities are Indigenous
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Funded by the CDC Foundation, this project is designed to encourage vaccination against COVID-19 and the flu by members of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)* community. Every 1 in 3 people in South Carolina has some type of disability. Disability** intersects with nearly every community, including BIPOC communities. In keeping with our organization’s mission, Able South Carolina is concentrating our work with this program around members of the BIPOC community who have disabilities. It’s our hope that we can encourage members of our BIPOC community with disabilities to talk with their doctors, or other trusted medical providers, about receiving the COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Because #ThisIsOurShot.
*What is BIPOC? Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, referred to as “BIPOC,” is a person-first language term that allows users to shift away from using terms like marginalized or minority to speak specifically to the needs of these populations. Black refers to people of African or Caribbean descent. Indigenous refers to people who are native to North America. People of Color is a blanket term that describes people who are not white. This can include many Latinx people, people of east or south Asian descent, and Pacific Islanders, to name a few.
**What is Disability? A disability is a health condition that makes it harder to do certain activities. Disability is a very broad term that can include physical disabilities, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental or emotional illnesses, hearing and vision loss, and others. Some disabilities are visible and others are not. Examples of disabilities can include conditions like diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, bipolar disorder, anxiety, a mobility disability that requires a walker or wheelchair, etc. Disability is also a legal term used to make sure people with these conditions are protected.

As Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Color (BIPOC) with Disabilities, you are at higher risk of being very sick or dying from COVID-19 and the flu. These are the facts:
South Carolina Disability Vaccine Access Hotline
Call (800) 787-6046 to Schedule Your Vaccine
A hotline staffed by Able South Carolina and Disability Rights South Carolina designed to provide people with disabilities information about many different aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine. These resources include but are not limited to:
- Address any concerns you may have about getting the vaccine
- Find a trusted medical provider
- Assist with vaccine appointment scheduling
- Navigate transportation to get your vaccine
- Offer resources and guidance on transportation to and from vaccine
- Answer some of the most common disability-related questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine
- Provide information about accessible vaccine sites based on crowdsourced data
- Address other disability-related barriers about the vaccine you may be experiencing
Disclaimer:
The staff of the Disability Vaccine Access Hotline are not licensed medical providers. They are unable to offer medical advice about the best vaccine for you or predict how the vaccine may affect you or your family.
Testimonials & Newsletters
Resources
This is Our Shot Poster-English
This is Our Shot Poster-Spanish
This is Our Shot Trifold- English
This is Our Shot Trifold- Spanish
Department of Health and Human Services Fact Sheets:
- Disability Access in Vaccine Distribution
- This document explains some of the key federal laws and guidelines that are being used to make sure that people with disabilities do not face extra barriers in accessing vaccines and healthcare because of their disabilities.
- Strategies for Helping Older Adults and People with Disabilities Access COVID-19 Vaccines
- This document explains that older adults and disabled people may have difficulty accessing COVID-19 vaccines and talks about some of the ways that states can make access easier. It shares some of the barriers that people can face and makes recommendations on what states can do to remove those barriers and gives examples of what some states are already doing to help disabled people access their vaccines.
- Bulletin on Ensuring the Rights of Persons with Limited English Proficiency in Health Care During COVID-19
- Key abbreviation: Limited English Proficiency = LEP. This phrase is used all through the document.
- This bulletin lays out a timeline of the declarations of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It reminds health care workers that they must make sure that people who have limited use of English as a written or spoken language have equal access to health care information. This bulletin lists ways that a healthcare setting can be accessible to those with LEP and shares resources for health care workers if they have questions.
- Bulletin on Civil Rights Protections Prohibiting Race, Color and National Origin Discrimination During COVTD-19
- This bulletin reminds health care workers like pharmacists, hospitals, caregivers, and other medical staff that discrimination by race, color, or national origin is illegal in these settings during COVID-19. It provides information on Section VI of the Civil Rights Act and talks about how providers can ensure that they are not discriminating against and violating the civil rights of any person based on their race, color, or national origin.
- Webpage on Civil Rights and COVID-19
- This page has information about the Office of Civil Rights and other protection agencies ’ policies to make sure that everyone’s civil rights are protected during the COVID-19 pandemic. On this page, you will find links to information about the rights of many different groups of people that are at higher risk of discrimination. It also has links to education about COVID-19 in different languages and links that share rules and recommendations for programs that get government funding, including medical providers who file Medicare insurance claims.
- Statement by the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights: Leading a Coordinated Civil Rights Response to COVID-19
- This link is to the statement made by Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Pamela S Karlan sharing resources and responses to civil rights concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also find a downloadable copy of this statement in English and Spanish on this page.
Funders & Partners

Gullah Geechee Chamber logo

Center for Community Health Alignment

PASOS

Latino Communications

Upstate SC LGBT+ Chamber

Rare Leaders