We partner to improve equity and access to vaccinations and other health care services.

The Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM), Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), Disability Rights Michigan (DRM), and Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute (MI-DDI) each received 3-year funding through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' (MDHHS) COVID-19 Vaccination Supplement 4. Efforts from this funding  aim to ensure greater equity and access to vaccination for people disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Our organizations joined together to form Michigan Vaccination Partners, or MVP. We see MVP as an opportunity to optimize the impact of our collective funding.

We partner because people with disabilities experience health disparities.

People with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. They were six times more likely to die from COVID-19 and experienced reduced access to routine health care and services. People with disabilities faced negative social impacts due to the pandemic, like unemployment and reduced access to medications, food, and transportation.

Before the pandemic, people with disabilities were already more likely to report poorer health compared to those without disabilities. These conditions include higher rates of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and depression.

Data collection is a fundamental pillar of public health. However, there is a lack of COVID-19 data related to people with disabilities. This information gap can cause initiatives to leave out people with disabilities and perpetuate social injustice. 

Our vision is to create healthy communities for all. 

MVP works to empower people with disabilities and achieve this vision by:

• Creating a consistent vaccination and health clinic experience. These experiences are accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to all Michiganders. MVP events:
  • Are led by health event staff who have completed disability training.
  • Adhere to guidelines to create accessible, sensory-friendly, and scent-free environments.
  •  Identify and address accommodation needs of event participants.
• Dispelling misinformation about vaccinations and other health topics.
• Utilizing current scientific information to direct our initiatives.
• Collaborating with trusted community-based organizations across the state of Michigan. These organizations host or support MVP health events to meet the health needs in communities.
• Identifying the need for community resources, like food, transportation, and housing.
• Collecting and reporting disability-related data. We measure what we treasure. Disability-related data must be measured to show progress in vaccination rates and access to health care. MVP health events track  the number of people with disabilities who participate, the services they received, and satisfaction with services. MVP will work with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to include disability on the state's COVID-19 dashboard.

Attend a MVP event

Become a Community Partner

In the News

• January 24, 2022: MI-DDI, Wayne State receive $7M grant to address equitable access to vaccines for Michigan residents disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 pandemic

For More Information

If you have questions about the MI-DDI's work as a Michigan Vaccine Partner, please contact middi@wayne.edu.

Funding for this project is provided through the COVID-19 Vaccination Supplement 4 by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) through the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) and is supported through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, P.L. 116-260 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2.