Mel Houser, M.D., Executive Director, All Brains Belong VT (11/14/2023)
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We all have different brains. Different brains have different needs. And yet, most people’s experience of healthcare is that it is offered in one “default” way. And if that default way doesn’t work for you, you may in fact not be able to receive healthcare.
Just as All Brains Belong was about to launch in November 2021, it came to our attention that there were kids and adults in our community who were not able to receive COVID vaccination. Whether because of healthcare trauma, needle phobia, anxiety, sensory processing differences or otherwise, the “default” settings of crowded gyms and shopping malls — or even healthcare offices — were not accessible to all Vermonters.
And so, with support from the Vermont Department of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter and the Vermont Family Network and in collaboration with Waterbury Ambulance Services, All Brains Belong developed and delivered a series of statewide neuroinclusive vaccination clinics. People traveled from all over the state, some driving more than 2 hours each way in order to be able to access vaccination. Some were on their 4th or 5th attempt. At our clinics, we incorporated our universal design for healthcare model, offering all participants a menu where they could co-create a customized experience. In our first year, we vaccinated 362 Vermonters.
In the video above from July 2022, All Brains Belong VT Community Advisory Board member Liam Riddle interviews me about our vaccine clinic model and shares their experience of what it was like as a participant.
2 years later, so many of our community members continue to access vaccination. Barriers to access include cost and availability of vaccine (both related to federal funding for COVID vaccination has ended) — but also, barriers in the environment. Those with compromised immune systems and chronic illness are forced to choose between health vs. healthcare — in that most healthcare facilities have ended their mask mandates. With COVID rates rising, they no longer feel safe entering healthcare environments. People with disabilities (21% of Vermonters) are being further marginalized and left behind.
Words cannot describe our gratitude to the Vermont Center for Independent Living and in particular, for the efforts of Pandemic Coordinator Kate Larose, for having the fortitude to develop a statewide Accessible Vaccine Program. With support from VCIL and the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter and in collaboration with Waterbury Ambulance Service, we were able to again be able to offer our patients a neuroinclusive, accessible vaccine experience.
Because everyone deserves healthcare. At a time when so many people feel left behind and left out of healthcare, grassroots collaboration efforts can make a huge difference to meet people’s needs. Systems change from the ground up.