coronavirus | CommunicationFIRST

logos of the nine national advocacy groups signing May 29 2020 Letter to Congress

National COVID-19 Policy Must Ensure Communication Access

May 29, 2020 Communication First

CommunicationFIRST today joins eight other national organizations that that work with and advocate for Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations, deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, blind persons, and people who cannot rely on speech to be heard and understood, in a letter to Congress urging it to ensure the federal response to…

blurry image of well-lit hospital hallway with open red door visible at left

CommunicationFIRST Files First Challenge to Hospital Visitor Policies (UPDATED)

May 4, 2020 Communication First

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Earlier today, CommunicationFIRST, together with Disability Rights Connecticut, the Center for Public Representation, and the Arc of the United States filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) regarding the failure to provide people with disabilities reasonable accommodations to hospital no-visitor policies in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

image of hospital hallway with hospital bed and people in scrubs in the distance

COVID-19 Communication Rights Toolkit

March 27, 2020 Communication First

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CommunicationFIRST has prepared a COVID-19 Communication Rights Toolkit, recognizing that our population—people who face significant barriers being understood with speech and accessing effective communication supports in the best of times—is likely to face even greater barriers to accessing our necessary communication supports if we are hospitalized due to a coronavirus infection.