As the United States passes two years of Covid-19-related illness, the country and the world have felt how many parts of daily life have been affected by this virus. Federal departments including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Equal and Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) now recognize the impact of Covid as well as its long-lasting effects. Since 2020, there have been millions of Covid survivors in the United States alone, and according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, as many as 23 million of those survivors may have developed “Long Covid.”

What is Long Covid?

Long Covid is described as the lasting effects of the Covid-19 virus. Symptoms may include pulmonary conditions, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, tinnitus, depression, anxiety, chronic pain. Covid is still considered a relatively new condition, and there is not much known about Long Covid. Subsequently, research continues as more people report reactions to the Covid vaccine as well as Long Covid symptoms.

Are People Diagnosed with Covid-19 and Long Covid Covered by Federal Legislation?

The EEOC published an introductory technical assistance page, What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws, in March 2022. This document discusses Covid and Long Covid in the workplace, including reasonable accommodations, as both the virus and the after-effects are now considered disabilities by the EEOC. The EEOC’s page cites their many pandemic-related webinars and webpages and includes a series of Frequently Asked Questions.  

The DOJ and HHS published Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557 in July 2021. This guidance sheet explains that Long COVID can be considered a disability under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Section 1557). While the guidance sheet does not address Covid-19 as a disability, it does state that Long Covid does meet the federal definitions of “disability” when it limits one or more daily life activities.

Accessibility and Covid

Since early 2020, there has been plethora of websites sharing information about Covid-19. After a number of complaints and settlements, the DOJ published a fact sheet describing Accessibility of COVID-19 Vaccine Websites and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This fact sheet explained the DOJ’s commitment to providing equal access to information, and as a part of the settlements with the private businesses mentioned in the fact sheet, all were required to ensure that their Covid websites were accessible. Related, with the updated Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA, all Title II entities (such as colleges) now must have accessible websites.

Treatments

Though research continues on the most effective treatments, advances have been made. In their Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has stated that children over the age of five are now eligible to receive booster shots. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the use of Evusheld for certain patients, as described in AstraZeneca’s Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents And Caregivers Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of EVUSHELD™ (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab) for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Resources:

• Shoreline Community College Covid-19 Exposure Report Form – Be sure to report an exposure or diagnosis of Covid-19.
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Hub Resource Portal on Coronavirus and Covid-19 – Resources for Human Resources about reasonable accommodations and other employment-related FAQs related to Covid.
• COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide – News from the World Health Organization (WHO) about Covid-19 and its effect on mental health.
• 5 Things To Know About Evusheld – Information from the National MS Society’s MS Blog

Link to Advisory Committee

This year, the members of the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) would like to continue its goal of disability awareness and allow the campus community to get to know this long-standing College Committee. 

As an advisory committee within the participatory governance system, the purpose of the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) is to sustain and advance the College’s commitment to accessible physical, instructional, and technological environments, and the related climate for students, staff, faculty, and visitors. The committee serves as a catalyst for continuous improvement to ensure equitable and effective access for persons with disabilities and advises the College’s Executive Team on appropriate actions that might be taken in order to make this campus as accessible as possible. The committee seeks input, involvement, and support from all members of the campus community. Among other things, AAC performs annual “night walks” to review the campus’ physical accessibility and safety, provides training for staff on disability-related topics, organizes Disability Awareness events.

AAC membership has representation from Classified staff, Exempt staff, Faculty, and Student Government. All members are passionate about disability awareness, physical accessibility, sustainability, and equity and have a diverse array of skillsets. AAC works together as a team to make decisions and to achieve our goals, sometimes bringing in non-member visitors to consult for their expertise. 

The Accessibility Advisory Committee will be sending out monthly posts on DAAG featuring resources related to accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All College staff and students are encouraged to check out AAC’s public Sharepoint page. Also, keep an eye out for AAC’s YouTube playlist, coming very soon! There will be a number of videos, with more added regularly, featuring information about our Committee members, specific disabilities, and disability-related legislation and guidelines.

https://shorelineccwa.sharepoint.com/sites/AccessAdvisoryCommittee