From Kurt Rutzen: A perspective on vaccines

We are living in challenging times. I recently read that the 6.5 million people in the U.S. with intellectual and developmental disabilities are considered among the highest at-risk group for COVID-19. Because of that, people with disabilities and their caregivers must be at the top of the list to receive the vaccine!

I myself plan on getting it just as soon as I can. I think it is a very good thing to keep us all safe. My life and other people with disabilities lives have been interrupted. We have had to stay home and stay away from loved ones and friends. Some people with disabilities live in homes with more people. This makes it very hard to practice social distancing. Some are in smaller places and it is very challenging for them. People with disabilities are just like everyone else. I don’t know how many times I need to say this, but I will continue to say it because we all are.

We all have dreams and things we want to get out and do but can’t because of COVID-19 and because people with disabilities are at higher risk. The vaccine will be so good to get, to get back to some kind of “normal.” It will be so good for people with disabilities to get out to work, see friends, family and do all they want to do. People with disabilities and their caregivers need to be at the top of the list to get the vaccine as soon as they can. Let’s all support people with disabilities to get the vaccine and all the caregivers who support them. Please get the COVID-19 shot as soon as you can and let’s all get back to normal.

Thanks to all of you for reading. Happy New Year to all of you and God Bless you!

Kurt Rutzen is Bethesda’s Disability Advocate.

On January 10, 2022 Bethesda Lutheran Communities became AbleLight.