Dear OCDD Supporters,

Developmental Disability Awareness Month is a great reminder that our communities are strongest when the contributions of each person are valued. Every March, we highlight these contributions and the many ways Oregonians with and without disabilities live and work side by side across Oregon.

Given reports about COVID–19, and related guidance, we have decided not to hold this year’s photo rally or to host in-person events for the time being. We ask people to own our shared responsibilities as people with and without disabilities, to focus our energy on ensuring the safety and health of our fellow Oregonians.

With this same intention, we challenge you to value your role as a member of your community: call and check in with your neighbors or friends, offer a supportive word to anyone feeling anxious, connect online if you can’t connect in person, and consider what you do to stay calm in stressful moments.

Oregonians with and without developmental disabilities form strong, diverse communities that come together, celebrate good times, and get through hard times. We are all #BetterTogether.

Sincerely,

Beth Kessler

OCDD Interim Director

A New Blog Post from Niko Boskovic

“April 28, 2020: Since the city shut down several weeks ago, I’ve had to get used to living in more isolation than usual. My parents, one of whom is still working outside the home, are totally stressed and anxious. I wrote the following poem for them:

This is a time of unknowns
a moment when we haven’t got a clue
as to what’s next
or where we’ll find ourselves
in the next six weeks.

But I ask this of you now:
have me in mind
when you feel so overwhelmed
that’s it’s all you can do
to get up in the morning
put on yesterday’s clothes
face the morning with a false optimism
that you’ve nurtured for the past twenty-four hours and help me through the next twenty four as my world has shrunk to these four walls.

I feel your frustration and your impatience
your overt protection of my sacred life –
the one others said was not as worthy as
those unencumbered by difference –
the one you didn’t ask for.
In our joint hearts
Our mutual survival beats with a fierceness
that rivals the atom bomb.

Let’s mask everything but our spirits
our drive to survive
a lust for a new dawn rising
when we all come together again
when we create a new normal
and my spirit tucks itself under your wings again.

I know these days are hard for all of us,  but they are especially difficult for those of us who rely on routines and the expected. Please have extra patience for us as we get accustomed to being ourselves but in a new world.

Read More

To stay updated and engaged, we have highlighted a few resources for you below:

To:  All ODDS Staff and Stakeholders

From:  Lilia Teninty, Director, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services

The Oregon Health Authority has identified several counties in Oregon with presumptive positive cases of COVID–19. COVID–19 is spread from person-to-person through droplets in the air and on surfaces that people touch. More information is on OHA’s website.

This situation is unfolding quickly and the risks for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are high. Under regular circumstances, we use meetings, the ODDS website and other avenues to gather input from our partners and stakeholders before issuing transmittals and other policy guidance. Thank you for understanding that our ability to that right now is significantly limited.

In order to protect the health and safety of the people we serve, and to provide clear guidance to our case management entities, we have issued a transmittal asking for CDDPs, Brokerages, Children’s Residential Services and Children’s Intensive In-Home Services to submit a list to ODDS of individuals at your CME who may at high-risk. This is to help ensure the safety of potentially vulnerable individuals.

ODDS is requesting this information to ensure that we know who may be at high-risk for COVID–19 statewide. This information will be used to coordinate with individuals, families, CDDPs/Brokerages, providers and appropriate local Public Health entities. ODDS is available to provide technical assistance, as needed.

The Assessment Spreadsheet can also be found at: https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/SENIORS-DISABILITIES/DD/Pages/ODDS-COVID–19-Information.aspx under “Case Managers.”

We have also issued transmittals requiring emergency plans for all our provider types, including adult and children’s foster care, 24-hour residential, supported living, employment, and community living/day support activity providers.

Other important information and guidance released this week includes:

• Information from the Oregon Health Authority on new presumptive positive cases of COVID–19.
• Information from the Oregon Health Authority on infection control guidance for in-home workers.
• New fact sheet from the Oregon Home Care Commission for Personal Support Workers and Home Care Workers.
• New guidance from the Aging and People with Disabilities program on limiting exposure to COVID–19 for implementation in all nursing facilities.
• ODDS created a web page with COVID–19 guidance and information for case managers, providers and the general public.

We appreciate your hard work. I know we all have the health and safety of the people we support, as well as our coworkers, friends, and loved ones, top of mind. Thank you for your diligence and for prioritizing this important work.

Join OCDD in Celebrating Developmental Disability Awareness Month

It’s Week 3 of DD Awareness Month, and although COVID-19 continues to be foremost on the minds of most here in the U.S., we’re grateful that so many of you continue to share stories, art, and other posts that raise awareness of people with I/DD.

We’re also grateful for those who have used DDAM as a context or reason to share coronavirus resources. If it makes sense for you to do this with your organization, please go ahead and share away. We’ve included some credible resources in the DDAM resource guide if you need ideas.

It is extremely important to counteract the narrative that the virus’s danger is overblown. This narrative often leaves out those who are indeed at a higher risk from this virus, which includes many people with DD. The type of person-focused stories that are often shared during DDAM can help everyone become better able to view people with I/DD as individuals and not just a group or demographic.

So… keep it up! The power–and responsibility–to counteract this narrative lies with all of us. And please remember to reach out to those in your network who are at higher risk for serious illness (with or without I/DD). Many of them are still trying to figure out how to deal with the anxiety, worry, or fear that come hand-in-hand with this pandemic.