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The South Carolina Vaccine Access Program

Last update: 8/22/2023

  • 1 in 3 people in South Carolina have a disability
  • Of the disability community in South Carolina:
    • 33.6% of Black residents in South Carolina have a disability
    • 35.1% of Latinx South Carolinians live with a disability
    • 48.7% of Indigenous people living in South Carolina live with a disability

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.

ENGLISH: Graphic illustration of eight boxes with one box in the center that has the campaign message. It reads This is Our Shot. All letters are white except our, which is bright green over a dark blue background. Remaining illustrations include a young Latina woman in a mask holding up her arm with a bandaid on it in front of a light green background, woman with a visual disability with a mask on and bandaid on her arm in front of a teal background, young man with a mask and bandaid on his arm and a prosthetic arm holding a thumbs up in front of a light blue background, two bandaids in an x shape on a dark blue background, blue face mask on a yellow background, young Black man with a mask on and bandaid on his arm with crutches on a teal background, white woman with a mask on and pointing to a bandaid on her arm in a wheelchair on a light blue background, and an older Black man with a mask on and a bandaid on his arm holding up his arm on a light green background. SPANISH: Ilustración gráfica de ocho cajas con una caja en el centro que tiene el mensaje de la campaña. Dice “Esta es nuestra vacuna”. Todas las letras son blancas excepto la de nuestra, que es de color verde brillante sobre un fondo azul oscuro. El resto de las ilustraciones incluyen a una joven latina con una máscara que sostiene su brazo con una curita delante de un fondo verde claro, una mujer con discapacidad visual con una máscara y una curita en el brazo delante de un fondo azul marino, un hombre joven con una máscara y una curita en el brazo y una prótesis sosteniendo un pulgar hacia arriba delante de un fondo azul claro, dos curitas en forma de x sobre un fondo azul oscuro, una máscara azul sobre un fondo amarillo, un joven negro con una máscara y una curita en el brazo con muletas sobre un fondo verde azulado, una mujer blanca con una máscara y señalando una curita en el brazo en una silla de ruedas sobre un fondo azul claro, y un hombre negro mayor con una máscara y una curita en el brazo sosteniendo su brazo sobre un fondo verde claro.

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

SCDisabilityVaccine.org

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