[Colorado-Talk] Update on CCB & COVID-19

[Dan Burke]

Good morning,

Again, many of you will have seen this already because you are on our
CCB e-mail list. But Julie wanted me to post here to make sure
everyone in our Colorado Federation family is up-to-date on what the
Center is doing regarding the COVIND-19. I will add here that the CCB
board met via conference call MOnday night and agreed with the actions
described below. Stay safe all!

# # #

March 17, 2020

As of Monday, March 16, we are changing our standard operational mode
at the Colorado Center for the Blind until at least March  30, at
which time we will reassess the rapidly-changing public health
situation in Colorado. Our main facility at 2233 W. Shepperd Ave. will
host no classes, but a skeleton crew will be on hand to handle phone
calls, receive mail and other shipments and continue general
administrative duties.

Students will remain at our apartment complex on S. Lowell Blvd. They
and their instructors will essentially maintain their regular
schedule, but will communicate by telephone in order to give
assignments and receive instruction. At 11:30 each week day, we will
hold our daily Philosophy class via Zoom conference call.

It was just five days ago that we issued a statement on COVID-19 that
indicated we would remain open and teaching. However, things in the
United States and in Colorado, in particular, are evolving almost
hourly. While no student or staff member has been identified as having
COVID-19, the management team determined that the most responsible
choice for our staff and students, and the most socially responsible
approach, would be to limit travel for our staff and students, and to
reduce the number of people in our building (including general
meetings at announcements and Philosophy class). Nonetheless, we will
continue teaching and providing structure for our students.

Even as we informed students on Monday and began to map out our
teaching strategy in our weekly staff meeting, The CDC, White House
and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were adjusting the limitation on group
meetings downward to no more than ten. We can meet that recommendation
with this alteration in our teaching structure.

Senior Services

All groups are cancelled at the Center for the near future, as are
home visits. Our staff conduct a number of groups at outside locations
in an eight-county area, such as senior-living facilities, all of
which were cancelled by the facilities themselves by the end of last
week. Senior Services staff have been busy since Monday calling every
senior active on the caseload to check in, help problem-solve and to
identify resources or make referrals. We hope to provide support as we
move to a status of increasing isolation for individuals, and so there
are a lot of these phone calls to make!

Youth Services

All Youth programs are on hold for the time being. We are still
planning on our summer programs beginning in June, however!

Other Steps Taken

•	Students were given the option to remain and “shelter in place” in
Colorado, or to return to their homes elsewhere. Three chose to leave.
•	Beginning last Friday Colorado experienced a panic-induced run on
supermarkets. This left some stores too overwhelmed to provide
reasonable accommodations to blind shoppers in the form of shopping
assistants, not to mention bare shelves. This morning, several of our
staff who drive visited supermarkets in the wider south metro area
which have been able to restock somewhat, and purchased some basic
groceries, such as milk, bread, lunch meat, oatmeal, bananas, and
healthy snacks. These were then packaged at our apartments by staff
and students and a bag was distributed to each apartment.
•	Staff will keep the building at 2233 W. Shepperd Ave. open to
receive mail and packages, as all student mail comes here. This
includes necessary student prescriptions that come through the mail
for many of our students. We’ll deliver mail and any packages near the
end of the workday.
•	Students will be encouraged to travel outdoors, but to avoid public
transportation or ride-shares except for essential travel, such as to
the supermarket, medical appointments, etc.

The well-being and safety of our students is our highest concern. If a
student has any signs of the virus we will isolate them immediately in
a vacant apartment. We will assist the student to obtain testing and
if it happens to be positive, we will ensure that the student has what
they need in terms of medical treatment or provisions during recovery.

We appreciate all the concern and support for our students and our
center. We will continue to provide updates as we move forward.

Best regards,

Julie Deden
Executive Director



-- 
Dan Burke

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Coordinator

President, NFB of Denver

"Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"

My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal