How to stay safe, well and connected

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There is a lot of talk about COVID-19 or the Coronavirus. We may come across lots of information out there, but it is not always easy to understand and it can be confusing. Our team is working together to create and gather resources from around the world and information to support people with developmental disabilities and their families during this time.

At times like this, being healthy really matters. There are things we can do to keep our bodies healthy and things we can do to help us think and feel well. Even though many of us are missing out on activities we usually do, and on seeing people we usually see, it still matters that we feel connected with each other and not alone.
The self-help booklet series is for people with intellectual disabilities and can be used with the support of family members, friends, staff, and health care professionals. The booklets are intended to give people with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to talk through their feelings and make plans for staying well at this difficult time.
Learn more about the booklets here.
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Video: Using the Self-Help Booklet Series

This video was created in partnership with DramaWay to help adults with intellectual disabilities use the self-help booklet series during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video to learn why others thought the books were helpful and how to use the books by yourself, or with others.

Coronavirus introduction

This booklet introduces Coronavirus, or COVID, what is included in this booklet series, and more. The goal of this booklet is to introduce the resources that are available to people who are struggling to cope with the pandemic and to help them choose the materials that will help them most.
Download: English | French
Guide on how to use booklet

Feeling anxious about Coronavirus

This booklet discusses some reasons people feel anxious, what anxiety can feel like, and some different ways to cope with feeling anxious. The goal of the booklet is to help people understand their emotions and how to cope with them.
Download: English | French
Guide on how to use booklet

Feeling down

This booklet discusses some reasons people feel down, the problems people can have when they feel down, and how to feel better. The goal of the booklet is to help people talk about their emotions and understand why they are feeling down.
Download: English | French
Guide on how to use booklet

You can do it

This booklet is about exercise and how staying active can improve people's mood and sense of wellbeing. The goal of the booklet is to help people understand how exercise is important to one's wellbeing and to help people plan activities they would like to do to stay active.
Download: English | French
Guide on how to use booklet

A good night's sleep

This booklet discusses the importance of sleep, why people might have problems sleeping, and things people can do to sleep better. Everybody is different, and the goal of this booklet is to help people find the tips for sleeping better that will be most helpful for them.
Download: English | French
Guide on how to use booklet

Sort it out

This booklet is about problem solving and shares a five stage plan that people can use to solve problems in everyday life. The goal of the booklet is to help people understand why problem solving is important and learn how to do it for themselves.
Download: English | French
Guide on how to use booklet

Feeling angry and staying calm

This booklet explains what can happen when you are angry and some ways of calming down. 

Download the booklet

Steffi Explains How to Stay Healthy and Well During COVID-19

Everybody has a right to clear information, especially during a pandemic. Online information about COVID and other health topics can be difficult to understand. That is why Steffi explains things in a clear and easy-to-understand way. Steffi was originally developed in the Netherlands, Europe, and has been adapted for use in Canada in partnership with Surrey Place and the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre. You can find all the information in one place here, or pick a topic you are interested in below. A video will start to play when you click on a link. 
UPDATED: Things to know about the COVID-19 Vaccine.
This Easy Read guide explains COVID-19, how vaccines work, how they are tested, who should take the vaccine, and more. Remember, the best person to talk about the vaccine with is your doctor.  

Download the Easy Read
UPDATED: What happens when I get a COVID-19 Vaccine?
This Easy Read guide explains what happens when you get a COVID-19 vaccine, how to prepare for your vaccine appointment, and what will happen during and after your appointment.  

Download the Easy Read
Learn about the new COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, including answers to the questions: Why do I need another COVID booster shot? What is the bivalent vaccine? When can I get my next booster shot?
UPDATED! COVID-19 vaccines, masks, and public health: Coping with different feelings
In this Easy Read guide, learn how to cope with your feelings when people think or act differently than you do. You will also find resources you can use when feeling anxious or angry.  

Download the Easy Read Guide


UPDATED! COVID-19 Fall 2022: How to Stay Safe

In this updated Easy Read guide, learn how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We answer questions such as:
  • If many people have COVID-19 vaccines, why are people still getting COVID-19?
  • What if someone who supports me gets COVID-19?
 

Getting Ready for my Shot

Use the Getting Ready for my Shot form developed by Surrey Place's Developmental Disability Primary Care Program to prepare for your COVID vaccine appointment. This form includes tips to prepare and can be used by people with developmental disabilities and their caregivers to create a positive experience and request accommodations during the appointment. 
Learn more
Download Getting Ready for my Shot

COVID Vaccine Stories

Here in Ontario, many adults with developmental disabilities are beginning to receive their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. We connected with people who received their COVID vaccine recently. They shared their experiences, including why they wanted to get their shot, what was helpful, and what was not helpful.
Read Kory's Story | Kory's Story in Easy Read
Read Talia, Lou and Rob's Story
Read Erica's Story
Read Isaiah's Story

Did you get your shot? Share your story! We hope to continue sharing the experiences of people with IDD who have received their vaccine. If you or someone you know want to share your experience, send an email to hcardd@camh.ca.
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COVID-19 in the Spring and Summer 2022: Question and Answer

 Azrieli advisors ask questions about COVID-19 during the spring and summer 2022. Drs. Niel, Jiwa, and Lunsky answer these COVID-19 questions. If you have a question that is not covered in this video, send us an email at hcardd@camh.ca. 
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Jenna asks Krystal About Getting Her COVID-19 vaccine

Watch as Jenna asks Krystal about how her COVID-19 vaccine experience went, from booking her appointment, getting her shot and celebrating after. This video was created in partnership with DramaWay to help people with developmental disabilities prepare for their COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
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Amanda Gets a COVID-19 vaccine

Follow Amanda as she gets her COVID vaccine at a clinic in Toronto, Ontario. This video is brought to you by Surrey Place. For more tips and strategies for how to prepare, check out their primary care website. 

This is About My Health


This easy read is a summary of the article "This Is About My Health”: Partnering with Patients and Families to Share Knowledge and Tools about Healthcare Communication for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It explains how researchers can work with patients and families to help share what we learn in research.

Authors: Muhammad Irfan Jiwa, Janet Durbin, Victor Pereira, Erica Streisslberger, Lee Steel, and Yona Lunsky
 

Did an online course help family caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities during COVID?


This easy read is a summary of the article, Mental health and COVID-19: The impact of a virtual course for family caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, August 2022. Healthcare workers and family caregivers of adults with IDD created an online course together. The course taught families about mental health topics and how to cope with COVID-19. Lots of people came to the course and they liked learning together. People shared that their mental health got better and stayed better 8 weeks later. This research found that even when people don’t live in the same place, they can learn together by taking an online course. It also showed that families need to be a part of teaching what matters to other families. 

Does Virtual Health Care Work for Adults with Developmental Disabilities? 


This easy read is a summary of the article, Accessibility of Virtual Primary Care for Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Study, published in JMIR Formative Research, August 2022. Health care is often done on the phone or on the computer now because of the COVID pandemic. The researchers met with 38 adults with developmental disabilities, family members, support staff, and doctors to listen to what they think about virtual care. The research found that virtual health care was easy for some patients and hard for others and that there are 5 factors that can make virtual visits better. We should also let people with developmental disabilities choose how they want to do their visits.
Ontario specific easy read accessible documents on COVID-19, consistent with Public Health Ontario guidance as well as the Ontario COVID-19 website. 
These information sheets have been adapted by H-CARDD with permission from Opening Doors UK
What is Coronavirus?  English | French
How to stay safe: Physical Distancing  English | French
How to stay safe: Handwashing  English | French
Stay in, Stay well  English | French
If you get sick  English | French
Acknowledgements  English | French
It is just as important in this time to take care of your mental health as it is your physical health. You may find these resources helpful. CAMH has also created some additional information sheets for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Learn more below.

When you have to stay at home

 
Why it is important and ways to care for yourself during physical distancing and staying at home. This tip sheet also includes ways to help others who feel alone.

Help when you're feeling worried

 
A tip sheet with strategies to manage feeling worried. This tip sheet also includes some ways to practice self-care, and how to reach out to others who are feeling scared about the pandemic.

Talking to a loved one

 
A guide for family members and caregivers on talking to a loved one in a supportive way to help them understand what is happening with COVID-19 and why it is important to stay safe.

COVID-19 Blog Posts

Since the start of the pandemic, we've been writing blogs on current issues that are affecting our community. Blogs can be accessed by clicking the links below.

A Family Physician's Perspective

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A Virtual Fireside Chat with Dr. Ullanda Niel: Your COVID-19 Questions Answered

Dr. Yona Lunsky, Director of the Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities (H-CARDD) Program, welcomed Dr. Ullanda Niel, a Family Physician at Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, for a fireside chat to answer questions about COVID-19 from family caregivers and self-advocates with developmental disabilities.

Seeing Your Doctor During COVID-19

It is really important to remember that even when we can’t see our doctors in person, we can still meet with them. Most health care providers are able to talk with patients on the phone, but some people are also having appointments using video. It can be helpful to see each other during a meeting, especially when communicating back can be difficult.
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Meeting with your doctor through video

In this video, watch Julie as she visits her doctor using video technology, with the help of her support worker, Francis. Even though your doctor’s office isn't open now, you can still visit by telephone or video to ask questions about COVID-19 or other health issues. The My Heath Care Visit tool from Surrey Place can help you prepare for a visit with your doctor.
You may need to go to the hospital during COVID-19. Tools like the COVID-19 Hospital Transfer Tool by The Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program can help share important information to hospital staff. Fill this form out to be prepared for an emergency and have it available during a transfer to hospital.
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Using the COVID-19 Hospital Transfer Form

The COVID-19 Hospital Transfer Form can be used by families and caregivers if they need to visit the hospital. This form includes important information that can be shared with hospital staff to help support their loved one's communication and behavioural support needs.
Download Hospital Transfer Form

Health Care Communication Tools

If you are seeing a new health care provider or going to the hospital during COVID-19, you have to be prepared with up to date medical information for appointments or in case of an emergency. 
The About My Health Tool can be shared with any new health care provider and gives important information about your health and how to best help you, especially if you are seeing someone who does not know you well.

Download About My Health
The My Heath Care Visit Tool can help you prepare for a health care visit. This tool should be started before going to the appointment or the hospital and gets finished with the health care provider during the visit.

Download My Health Care Visit
Some people might find it hard to wear a mask. These information cards are intended to foster compassion and understanding as some people are unable to wear a mask because of their disability. If you have trouble wearing a mask you can use these cards by clicking on the images below.

Tips to use these cards:  
  • Save them as images to your phone
  • Print them to keep in your wallet or phone case

Tag us on social media @HCARDD to show us how you are keeping busy

Let us know if you have other ideas of things to do to keep busy and stay connected.

Remember that even though we are all far away from each other, we are all in this together!
Stay in touch, we want to hear from you.
 
Disclaimer: The resources on this page are for wellness and information purposes and do not take the place of medical advice. If you are feeling unwell please seek help from a health care professional.
Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities, 2020