Protecting People with Disabilities in Facilities
People with disabilities living in facilities are at an especially high risk of during this pandemic. Congregated living conditions enable the spread of the virus, making vulnerable individuals in Nebraska even more susceptible to the illness.
Disability Rights Nebraska has altered monitoring procedures to ensure we are aware of facilities' handling of the pandemic as well as the safety of individuals' with disabilities. Here are the related actions we have taken:
- In March, we sent a letter to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to ensure individuals with disabilities in facilities rights were being upheld during the pandemic.
- Following the positive diagnosis of a Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (YRTC) staff member, Disability Rights Nebraska signed on to a letter to Nebraska DHHS and to the Judicial Branch calling for the protection of youth in facilities. Read the Judicial Branch's response.
Additionally, we are continuing to collect survey responses from people who have recently lived in a facility or family members of people who are living in a facility. By collecting these surveys, we're hoping to gain a better understanding of how the pandemic is affecting facility conditions for individuals with disabilities. If you have recently lived in a facility or have a family member who is currently living in a facility, please complete our survey to help us better advocate for others living in facilities.
