MPH Student Receives LEND Stipend for Project to Promote COVID 19 Vaccines to People with Disabilities

Chantelle Ballard, a second-year MPH in Biostatistics student involved in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND), received a Trainee Stipend for her proposed project to promote access to COVID-19 vaccines for people with disabilities. This stipend is offered through the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), funded by the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL). LEND programs provide long-term, graduate level interdisciplinary training as well as interdisciplinary services and care. The purpose of the LEND training program is to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with disabilities. They accomplish this by preparing trainees from diverse professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in their respective fields and by ensuring high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence.

As part of her project, titled “Vaccination Initiatives for Local Communities with Disabilities,” Chantelle is developing innovative messaging on COVID-19 vaccines providing animated and research-led content. She is using Tik Tok, Facebook/Instagram, Telemedicine Apps, local health department websites, school counseling and health centers to deliver her messages to the target population. She is collaborating with local health professionals, self-advocates, and community leaders to address vaccination-related misconceptions and promote vaccinations.