WeHo celebrates Disabilities Awareness Month with awards, vaccine clinics

The City of West Hollywood and its Disabilities Advisory Board will mark Disabilities Awareness Month, which takes place each year in October. The City will host two events to raise awareness and shine recognition on people and organizations that positively impact the lives of people with disabilities in the community.

This year marks the 31^st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is landmark civil rights legislation that works to increase access and opportunity for people with disabilities across society, including in the workplace.

Throughout the month of October, the City of West Hollywood will commemorate Disabilities Awareness Month with the installation of 41 banners along Santa Monica Boulevard, which recognize past recipients of the City’s Disability Service Awards in the individual and nonprofit organization categories.

On Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the City of West Hollywood, in partnership with Cedars-Sinai, will host an Outdoor Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Plummer Park Community Center, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. The transmission rate of the COVID-19 Delta variant remains substantial in Los Angeles County. People who are unvaccinated are at higher risk for serious illness and death. Additionally, the flu season presents a challenge to public health because symptoms of influenza can be very serious. Local Public Health officials note there are concerns that the convergence of COVID-19 cases and cases of influenza during the flu season can potentially overwhelm local systems for healthcare.

Cedars-Sinai will be offering COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer first doses, second doses, and booster doses – as well as single doses of Johnson & Johnson. Please bring your vaccine record if you would like the booster dose. For additional information about booster dose eligibility and details, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html. Los Angeles County residents 12 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Adolescents ages 12-15 years old must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult. Appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged but walk-ups are welcome. Appointments can be made online at My Turn (https://myturn.ca.gov/) and the vaccine site will be listed as Cedars-Sinai Pop-Up Clinic at West Hollywood Plummer Park. Some form of ID is required for the COVID-19 vaccine; flu vaccinations are walk-up-only and ID is not necessary. 

Outdoor Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic participants will be required to wear a face covering (and face coverings will be offered to those who do not have them). Please stay home if you are not feeling well. For more information or if you have questions about the Outdoor Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, please call Cedars-Sinai at (310) 423-4625.

On Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 6 p.m. the City of West Hollywood will host the 23^rd Annual Disability Service Awards at a special televised meeting of the Disabilities Advisory Board. To safeguard health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will take place virtually on the Zoom platform on at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82174735769. The Disability Service Awards will also be broadcast live on Spectrum Cable Channel 10 in West Hollywood; livestreamed on the City’s WeHoTV YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv and on the City’s website at www.weho.org/wehotv; and livestreamed on AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Roku platforms by searching for “WeHoTV.”

This year’s Disability Service Awards honorees will include:

• David Kruskall – Lovedy Brydon Differently Abled Individual Award;
• CVS Health – Business Award;
• “Not Going Quietly” – Media Award; and
• Step Up on Second – Nonprofit Award. 

The City of West Hollywood’s Disabilities Advisory Board was created in 1995 and is comprised of nine members. The Disabilities Advisory Board addresses issues affecting people with disabilities, including ADA compliance, transportation, housing, access to City government and services for people with disabilities, and makes recommendations to the West Hollywood City Council relative to the adoption of programs, policies, or ordinances of benefit to the constituency.