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CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMMUNITYMembers of the blind and visually impaired community have special considerations and needs when it comes to navigating the new normal as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. On this resource page, you will find information catered to the needs of our Santa Barbara Braille Institute community as well as links to general information that everyone should have easy access to.If you have a topic that you would like to see covered, please feel free to send me an email at stcass@ and our team will add appropriate resources to this list.Be sure to check back regularly as these resources will continue to change and grow over the coming weeks.If You Experience Coronavirus Symptoms*If you feel symptoms that are indicative of the Coronavirus, follow these steps:Contact your medical provider immediately. They will go through a series of questions to determine if a Coronavirus test is necessary.If your medical provider informs you that a Coronavirus test is necessary, inform them that you are an individual with a disability that is unable to drive.Your medical provider will most likely put you in touch with your local health department to arrange for specialized transportation to and from the testing site.Please refrain from accessing any public transportation or ride sharing services if you feel that you are sick.General Coronavirus ResourcesBelow you will find links to general resources for the latest developments surrounding the Coronavirus. You may find it helpful to bookmark some of these resources as the information changes daily.*Center for Disease Control *White House News Updates*World Health Organization – Coronavirus*Santa Barbara Public Health*Spanish COVID-19 Information Line:Dignity Health established a Spanish COVID- 19 information line that will be staffed Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. If the caller calls after hours they can leave a message and their call will be return ASAP. The phone number is 805-614-5758. ?Dignity Health is also running PSAs for the next 10 week on La M radio station (LaM 103.7FM/LaM 107.3FM) and their clinical staff will be providing interviews twice a week as well on the Central Coast Telemundo local news . ???Both the Information line and the radio station cover all 3 counties: SLO, SB, and Ventura.??????Santa Barbara County Online Resource Guides*Santa Barbara County 211 Resource Guide:Dial 2-1-1 to get connected to a specialist for personalized assistance. Free, Confidential, 24/7. Available in multiple languages. If out of the area or unable to connect to 2-1-1, try 800-400-1572. You can also visit their website for a list of local resources related to seniors, housing, health care, mental wellness, financial support, legal assistance, children and families, and much more. *If you are feeling overwhelmed by the wealth of resources out there, simply stick to using this one resource that is rich with information narrowed down to our community.*The Resource Project:*Santa Barbara News:City News Updates Email (Spanish): Sign up for news updates in Spanish NoticiasEdHat: Noozhawk: TransportationMany local transportation services including paratransit and fixed bus routes continue to run with some service changes. Transportation services have increased the frequency of regular disinfecting and encourage riders to stay home if are sick. Reach out to your local transportation service for the most current information.*MTD Public Bus Transportation: 805-963-3366 *Easy Lift Transportation: (805) 681-1181 Delivery and Distribution Some of us are used to utilizing delivery services like Instacart and GrubHub to obtain essential items. What we are perhaps not used to are the longer than normal delays for getting a delivery or having a large amount of substitutions for the items we need.By meal planning you will be able to ensure that you are only purchasing the essentials and you can rest assured knowing that you are fully prepared. Make a list of all of the meals that you would like to prepare for the upcoming week and shop in your app of choice for the items you will need. You may have to reserve a time several days or even a week out so be sure to plan ahead.*Zoomers to Boomers: Free grocery delivery service for seniors and immunocompromised.*Food Bank: free food distribution sites throughout Santa Barbara county(Food Distribution Sites)*Community Action Commission “Meals on Wheels”:?Free senior meals ( Age 60+) Call for more information. South: 805-964-8857?#1140 Mid/North:?805-925-3010*Santa Barbara County Education Office:?Food will be available for children under the age of 18 at school sites. For more information visit:?*United Boys and Girls Club:?Brown bag Free lunch for club members, pick up will occur at 12 each day.? CommunicationMore than ever during the Coronavirus outbreak employers, schools and colleges are all moving to online and telework options. Below are some tools that you may find helpful when working from home.*Zoom Cloud Meetings: Zoom is an accessible video conferencing software available for free. Zoom training tutorials: download: you would like a thorough overview of using the Zoom platform with a screen reader, Mosen Consulting has made the comprehensive audio book, Meet Me Accessibly – A Guide to Zoom Cloud Meetings from a Blindness Perspective free for all: get the most out of the platform, take a look at the extensive list of Zoom Hotkey and Shortcut Keys list:, if you are in the K-12 or higher educational system, be sure to check out this article detailing how you can obtain unlimited access to the Zoom platform at no additional charge: information on the accessibility features for Zoom, check out the Accessibility page: *Google Hangouts:Google Hangouts can offer another free way to participate in and lead video conferences:For information on the accessibility features of Google Hangout Meets, check out the Accessibility page: Hangouts Meet Trainings and Tutorials: Health Support*Santa Barbara County ACCESS Line:?provides mental health services for those who are in crisis due to alcohol, drug, and/or mental health problems. Call?888-868-1649?available 24/7. For more information visit:?*Center for Successful Aging: provides sliding scale and free low-income peer-to-peer counseling and support groups to seniors over 50yrs old. Related InformationAre you concerned about getting your prescription filled during the Coronavirus pandemic? Take a look at these tips and tricks:*Cox2Connect Low-Cost Internet: Through May 15, Cox Communications is offering their Starter package at $19.99 with temporary boost up to 50 Mbps and no annual contract or qualifications: Services:?*Community Action Commission:?Provides one-time utility assistance and home weatherization to qualified families, both owners and renters. Call for more information at?805-617-2897.*South CA Edison:?Temporarily suspending disconnections for customers unable to pay their bill due to COVID19 impact. Call?800-950-2356?or visit:?billhelp*SoCal Gas:?Providing support to residential customers by not suspending services and offering payment assistance. Additionally, small business customers may be eligible for a waived late fees. For more information call?800-427-2200?or visit: ?*PG&E:?Offer its most flexible pay plans to customers who indicate either an impact or hardship as a result of COVID-19. Moratorium on disconnection services for more information call?877-704-8470?or visit:? Care*Care 4 P.A.W.S: Mobile Clinic provides affordable, accessible pet wellness services to low-income, senior, disabled and homeless pet owners throughout Santa Barbara County. They also offer support with pet food, supplies and other basic pet care needs. Learn more here: Safety Net Programs?Continue to receive health care, food assistance and in-home supportive services in a timely manner during the COVID-19 outbreak. Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to extend the eligibility period for important safety net services. The order waives eligibility re-determination for 90 days for Californians who participate in these services:? Health Coverage: Food Assistance: : Assistance for Immigrants: Supportive Services: public counters are closed or closing until further notice.?However, most departments have online, mail, fax, phone & drop boxes to continue accessing programs & services. Refer to a list of changes as of today posted at? Relief and Support from Companies:??AT&T:?Provides flexible payment options for COVID19 impacted customers to keep service including cellphones, television and internet running. Make payment arrangements?800-288-2020Bank of America:?offers personalized financial assistance through its Client Assistance Program and can be reached at?844-219-0690.Chase Bank:?Announced its efforts to help its customers affected by COVID19 and is encouraging customers to call a special care line at?888-356-0023?to discuss available hardship programs.Wells Fargo Bank:?Committed to helping customers experiencing hardships, including from the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). If in need of assistance, customers can call?800-219-9739?to speak with a trained specialist to discuss options available for their consumer lending, small business and deposit products.Sprint:?is offering payment options to qualified customers through its financial team to keep customers affected by COVID19 connected. Additionally GB will be provided at no cost call?888-211-4727?or visit??for more information.?T-Mobile:?is providing payment options for customers affected by COVID19. Customers can call?T-Mobile Customer Care to discuss options at?611?from a T-Mobile device or?877-746-0909?from any phone.U.S Bank:?Customers are encouraged to visit the U.S. Bank coronavirus webpage or contact our designated line at?888-287-7817?to speak with a customer service representative about products or customer assistance programs that may be available, including mortgage relief options. Visit:? offering flexible payment options and a “Promise to Pay” program for customers which can be set up in the My Verizon app or website, or available by calling?866-266-1445.CapitalOne:?Customers affected by COVID19 may be eligible for assistance, of which will vary on the type of product they have and their individual needs. For more information visit:? by COVID19 may be eligible for waived fees, credit line increase and some mortgage customers can be eligible for hardship programs for more information visit:? to the Coronavirus crisis increased access and speed is free to? low-income internet service Connect2Compete. New Connect2Compete customers will receive their first month of service free. Additional support available for customers call :?844-221-3930? or Visit :? Protection*Price Gouging: It is illegal to increase prices, for more information on Price Gouging Law see?PDF?to report call :?805-568-2300?and file a complaint :?English Form,?Spanish Form*Protect Yourself Financially from Coronavirus: Resources to protect yourself financially during COVID19:?*Stimulus Payment Fraud Prevention: ................
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