Health Equity Initiatives
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Creating Opportunities is honored to be one of the Community-Based Organizations contracted by the Oregon Health Authority to provide community outreach, public health education and direct support to members of the community impacted by the COVID pandemic, with emphasis on those with disabilities who often face health disparities.
Health Equity
Creating Opportunities has provided health and safety education, disease prevention resources, emergency preparedness and community outreach while promoting health equity through:
- Self-Care and Resiliency Workshops.
- Desk Sets and In-Home Tutoring for dozens of students with disabilities during public health emergency school closures.
- Advocacy for Senate Bill 1606 which ensures access to support persons to people with disabilities in the hospital.
- Essential Care Bags packed with supplies parents need when their child goes to the ER or Hospital. We distributed 100 kits directly to local families who participated in a Preparing for A Medical Emergency Workshop and 50 bags to Salem Health Neonatal ICU.
- Distributed face masks, shields, no-contact thermometers, and vaccine promotion items such as “vaccinated” shirts, hats, and bags to hundreds of families across the region.
- Drive-Thru Safari Event to provide families with wild animal activity kits and access to a sensory-friendly monkey-themed vaccine clinic.
- Northwest Outdoor Family Adventure Day that provided families an opportunity to meet a celebrity survivalist, engage in interactive survival lessons and receive an outdoor survival toolkit.
- Cooking Safely Together Online Workshops & Safety Kits to teach youth with disabilities, their families, and caregivers the essentials of food safety including storage, preparation, and handling.
- Safe & Secure Summit and Emergency Preparedness Kits for families and caregivers of children and adults with developmental disabilities featuring health and safety workshops and exhibits on topics such as school safety, first responder engagement and emergency preparedness.
- Patrol Car Care Kits were delivered to law enforcement agencies throughout the region to equip patrol vehicles with sensory and communication tools to support community members with disabilities.
Housing Stability
Creating Opportunities is working with state agencies and community partners to improve housing stability for people with disabilities through:
- A Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities Housing Inequities Planning Grant Project and Recommendation Report.
- Tenant Education Materials adapted specifically for people with disabilities about discrimination, their rights, and responsibilities.
- Universal Design Initiatives to increase availability of fully accessible state-funded housing for tenants of all ages and life experiences.
- Landlord Awareness Activities on Fair Housing & ADA protections, supports available to tenants and the benefits of accessibility features.
- Housing Equity Events with state leaders, community organizations, housing professionals and advocates to address housing issues.
Disability and diversity are a natural part of the human experience, and Creating Opportunities appreciates the opportunity to support the work of the Oregon Health Authority to help bring equity to where it most needed.
Connect With Us
We welcome you to join Creating Opportunities. As a member you will be joining a network of other local families and community members who are supporting children with disabilities to live their lives to the fullest, while strengthening their families and communities. You are not alone!