Allotment Marks One of Largest Distributions of Accessible At-Home Test Kits to Any Municipality Across Nation
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and NYC Health + Hospitals/Test & Treat Corps (H+H/T2) today announced that the city will distribute 10,000 COVID-19 at-home test kits that are more accessible to New Yorkers that are blind or have low vision. The at-home test kits — manufactured by Ellume and sent to New York City by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — utilize easier-to-use test components for those who are blind or have low vision and communicate with a user’s smartphone to give an electronic text readout of their result. The more accessible test kits will be distributed in the coming weeks and will be available through MOPD and a host of additional partner organizations.
“Every New Yorker deserves to have access to free testing to ensure that they and their loved ones are protected against COVID-19,” said Mayor Adams. “Having at-home test kits available and accessible to the blind and low-vision community will ensure that their health remains a top priority and that they can test in the privacy of their home before coming in contact with others. We thank the CDC for the allotment of these 10,000 more accessible test kits and our partners for helping to distribute them. It’s important we remember that we’re all in this together.”
According to an analysis from New York City Department of City Planning, there are approximately 1 million people across the city that have disclosed having some type of disability, of whom about 200,000 reported having vision difficulty. The Ellume at-home test kits were initially made available to people by the federal government through a White House initiative where individuals could order 12 at-home tests online. Through advocacy from the Mayor’s Office, the CDC sent these at-home test kits directly to New York City. In a robust effort to make at-home COVID-19 tests readily available to every person and community in New York City, the Adams administration will continue to explore avenues for procurement of additional test kits to serve the blind/low-vision community and all New Yorkers.
Along with MOPD, organizations receiving the COVID-19 test kits will be:
- Alphapointe
- Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled
- Bronx Independent Living Services
- Center for Independence of the Disabled of New York
- Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School
- Helen Keller Services for the Blind
- Independence Care System
- Lighthouse Guild
- New York Public Library – Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
- New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commission for the Blind
- State University of New York College of Optometry
- VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
“At-home test kits have been and will remain a significant part of our strategy to keep New York City moving and thriving. We must ensure that test kits are available and truly accessible to everyone across the city, and today’s announcement is a step in that direction,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Based on recent statistics, there are approximately 200,000 New Yorkers who have disclosed that they are blind or have low vision. Those New Yorkers are our partners, our parents, our grandparents, our children, our friends, and our colleagues. They need and deserve access to COVID-19 test kits that will give them the ability to protect their health, the health of their loved ones, and the health of their community. Thank you to the interagency group that led this effort, thank you to our federal partners, and thank you to all the service providers that will distribute these kits in the community.”
“Improving the offering of at-home testing kits that reduce accessibility barriers for people who are blind or have low vision is a step in the right direction,” said MOPD Commissioner Christina Curry. “Now, people who are blind or have low vision can privately and independently take precautions against COVID-19 for themselves and their loved ones.”
“Our mission is to make city government work for all New Yorkers, and that is what drives us as we seek to ensure everyone has access to critical resources like these Ellume at-home test kits for those who are blind or have low vision,” said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “We are pleased that our role in facilitating the delivery of thousands of free COVID-19 at-home test kits can make a difference in so many lives and help protect some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers. We thank our partners at the CDC for providing the free test kits and our sister agencies, the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and NYC Health + Hospitals, for help coordinating this effort.”
“We are committed to providing all New Yorkers the convenience to get tested in the comfort of their homes and receive immediate access to life-saving treatment by calling 212-COVID-19, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Ted Long, MD, executive director, NYC Test & Treat Corps; senior vice president, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “That’s why we’ve distributed over 60 million free at-home tests across the city — no matter your location, income, insurance, immigration status, language, or disability. We are proud to work with over 1,200 city and community distribution partners to meet New Yorkers where they are. Delivering 10,000 audible tests designed for people who are blind or have low vision will further that mission and continue to make our city more equitable and safe.”
“New Yorkers have embraced at-home tests as a convenient way to guide their behavior and protect those around them from COVID,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “As a city and a nation, we have a responsibility to match that acceptance with accessibility. This is an important initiative to promote that goal.”
“New York City is committed to centering equity in our ongoing COVID-19 response. Diversity is our strength, and we must meet the unique needs of all New Yorkers,” said Mayor's Office of Equity Commissioner Sideya Sherman. “The rollout of these new test kits will ensure that everyone has access to the tools needed to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
To request an accessible at-home test kit, New Yorkers should contact one of the receiving organizations or MOPD by calling 212-788-2830. New Yorkers who are deaf or hard of hearing and use American Sign Language should contact MOPD via ASL Direct at 646-396-5830. A community call via zoom will be made available by MOPD where representatives from H+H/T2 will demonstrate the use of the test kits and answer COVID-19 related questions. To sign up for this call, New Yorkers can register online.
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