The Autism Society of America believes that improving the vaccination experience is a critical step towards achieving more equitable healthcare for people with Autism and all neurodiverse individuals. As part of our strategic focus on health equity, the Vaccine Education Initiative (VEI) is a national program that addresses systemic barriers, while promoting vaccine education, confidence, and access.
Persons with disabilities generally have more health-care needs than others – both standard needs and needs linked to impairments – and are therefore more vulnerable to the impact of low quality or inaccessible health-care services than others. Compared to persons without disabilities, persons with disabilities are more likely to have poor health: among 43 countries, 42 per cent of persons with disabilities versus 6 per cent of persons without disabilities perceive their health as poor.
Many hospitals currently restrict in-person visitation as an important and necessary COVID-19 mitigation strategy. However, families and advocates have contacted the Minnesota Department of Health to express concern about the ability of patients with disabilities and pediatric patients to access support people, parents, or legal guardians while hospitalized.
