FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DD Councils: Expanding Disabilities Network’s (DD Councils) Access to COVID19 Vaccines (Version 1.0 Date 4/14/21)

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced a new funding opportunity of $4 million to support 

DD Councils increase vaccine access for people with disabilities. With funding and partnership support from the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACL is providing grants to DD Councils to provide critical 

services to help communities combat COVID-19. A leading priority of this joint effort is to ensure vaccines are 

equally accessible to the disability population. 

Allowable activities questions 

Q1: What are the allowable activities for this award? 

A1: All expenses related to the following activities are allowable to be charged to this award:

• Education about the importance of receiving a vaccine; 

• Identifying people unable to independently travel to a vaccination site; 

• Helping with scheduling a vaccine appointment; 

• Arranging or providing accessible transportation;

• Providing companion/personal support;

• Reminding people of the second vaccination appointment if needed; and/or 

• Providing technical assistance to local health departments or other entities on vaccine accessibility.

Q2: Can the funding be utilized to assist state vaccine information lines? 

A2: In providing this funding, CDC intends to increase vaccinations among people with disabilities, their families, 

and other support providers by utilizing ACL’s disability networks as a reliable source of information. If the state 

vaccine lines are providing specific support to people with disabilities, the expense would be appropriate.

Q3: Can the funding be used for combatting vaccine hesitancy? 

A3: Yes, one of the purposes of the funding is for disseminating credible information about COVID-19 vaccines 

and helping direct those with questions to additional sources of information.

Q4: Can the funding be used to support vaccine equity efforts? 

A4: Yes, the disability network is encouraged to use these funds to address inequity in COVID-19 vaccination 

access among people with disabilities, families, support providers, and disability network staff and volunteers 

from communities defined by race, ethnicity, geography, disability, income, sexual orientation, gender identity, 

and other factors.
ACL COVID-19 Response · Updated 4/14/21 · Page 2

Q5: Can the funding be used to provide transportation stipends/vouchers to individuals? 

A5: Yes, arranging or providing accessible transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites for people with disabilities,

their families, and other support providers is an allowable use of funds.

Q6: Can the DD Council purchase a vehicle to transport people with disabilities to vaccine appointments? 

A6: To help mobilize people with disabilities to vaccine center appointments during this crisis, vehicle 

purchases are allowable. This is consistent with the DD Act that supports people with disabilities having access 

to and use of transportation. While vehicle purchases are allowable per 2 CFR 200.48, prior approval is 

required by ACL. The approval process involves submitting a completed Large Purchase Request Form that can 

be provided by your grant or project officer to get started. In this this form, the DD Council will need to describe 

the vehicle’s proposed use after the project period ends. In addition, ACL requires that grant recipients include 

an analysis of lease and purchase alternatives to determine which would be the most economical and practical 

procurement of the recipient and the federal government. For assistance in determining whether to lease or 

purchase a vehicle, please contact your project officer.

Q7: Can the funding be used to pay for staff to plan and organize the activities stated the in Federal Register 

Notice, participate in meetings with local public health and other entities, and/or collect and analyze data on 

COVID-19 vaccination rates of people with disabilities, family caregivers, and disability network staff and 

volunteers? 

A7: Yes, paying for staff for these activities is an allowable use of funds.

Q8: Can we use these funds to provide temporary staffing (personnel) to help with getting people appointments 

and help with transportation to get vaccination? 

A8 Yes. These funds are designed to break down barriers to increase vaccine access. 

Q9: Can the funding be used to serve anyone? 

A9: This funding is intended to be used to serve people with disabilities, their families, support providers, and 

disability network staff and volunteers. Funding should be targeted to serve these populations.

 

Q10: Since some sites will be in rural communities to provide vaccine access, can Disability Service Providers be 

included as part of this funding to get served and counted? 

A10: Yes. Disability Service Providers are to be served and counted in all communities as they provide critical 

support to keep the ID/DD population in their homes and in their communities. They may get reimbursed for 

travel costs. 

Grant and Fiscal policy questions 

Q11: What is the Project Period for this award?

A11: Awards made under this announcement can have a start date of April 1, 2021 with an estimated end date 

of September 30, 2022. Consistent with this project period timeline, the funds must be obligated by 

September 30, 2022. All funds must be liquidated by December 31, 2022. 
ACL COVID-19 Response · Updated 4/14/21 · Page 3

Q12: Can we use multiple funding sources to fund these activities in the community?

A12: Yes. ACL encourages collaboration. It is advisable that Councils monitor the use of these funds to ensure 

that they are allocated appropriately.

Q13: Will funding received under this award be factored into funding formulas for other current or future 

awards my grantee currently receives from ACL?

A13: No. There will be no impact on future funding since these are one-time special funds from CDC for the 

purpose of increasing vaccine rates of people with disabilities, their families, and other support providers. 

 

Q14: Does the DD Council need to apply for these funds if they want to receive these funds? 

A14: Yes. In order to receive these funds a grantee must submit a signed letter of assurance. Please 

contact your Program Officer if you have not received these instructions. 

Q15: Can the DD Council decline this funding opportunity? 

A15: Yes. To ensure proper tracking, we ask that you inform your Program Officer of not wanting to receive 

funds. We provided an optional template to sign and return to your program officer. 

Q16: How are funding amounts determined and distributed? 

A16: Based on the $4 million available for DD Councils, the formula distribution will be based on population of 

the state, with minimum allotments for states and territories with smaller populations. These projected

amounts to be awarded to states or territories are listed in the Federal Register Notice posted on April 7, 2021.

As some grantees may choose not to access this funding, more funding will be available to be awarded based 

on the formula to the states/territories that have submitted a letter of assurance. We anticipate awarding the 

funds shortly after the 14-day deadline of April 21st. 

Q17: Can I transfer or sub-award these funds to another entity? 

A17: No. A grantee cannot transferor sub-award these funds to another entity. However, a grantee may 

contract or otherwise purchase services or goods with these funds. It is ACL’s expectation that the recipient 

remain in control of the funds at all times. 

Q18: Is Match required? 

A18: No. There is no match requirement. 

 

Q19: Will there be reporting requirements specific to this award? 

A19: Yes. As indicated in the assurance template, recipients of this award must also submit programmatic 

and financial reports that reflect use of this funding. Specific procedural processes, reporting tools and 

deadlines are currently being developed by ACL and will be shared once finalized. 

Q20: Will I need to track these funds separately? 

A20: Yes. DD Councils will be expected to report specifically on the use of these funds and should begin to take 

steps to ensure funds are utilized in a way that allows for specific tracking and reporting.
ACL COVID-19 Response · Updated 4/14/21 · Page 4

Q21: Will this grant have its own SF-425 (FFR) and SF-425 supplemental forms? 

A21: The grant requires semi-annual SF-425 financial reports to be submitted.

Q22: Is this funding limited to services or goods purchased, or must it also be utilized for related administration 

or other costs? 

A22: Costs charged to this award should follow the same rules, including those established in an approved 

Indirect Cost Rate, a Notice of Award or applicable under 45 CFR 75, as any other Federal funding source.

 

Q23: Is this funding simply adding to our annual DD Council allotment or is this a separate grant? 

A23: These funds are considered a separate grant to support DD Councils with a specific focus to increase 

community access to vaccines. A separate grant number will be provided by ACL. 

Q24: Are Councils permitted to obligate funding without a competitive bidding process? 

A24: Given the extenuating circumstances and the urgency of services to increase vaccines access for people 

with disabilities, this flexibility exists for grantees to consider expedited procurement methods. Please work 

with your Grants or Program Officer to make sure the right forms are submitted for ACL review. 

 

Q25: One of the assurances is focused on collaborating with partners. Do you have guidance or best practice 

examples on how state recipients (DD Councils, P&As, UCEDD, CILs) can work together collectively to address 

needs in the community? 

A25: We hope you can begin building off the existing relationships with DD Network Partners and CILs in your 

community in this effort. It just takes a phone call or an email. If this has not happened yet, a moment of crisis 

is a good opportunity to bring network providers together to respond to the unique needs in each community

without duplicating efforts. As for accessing information on guidance and best practices, please consult with 

your TA provider to get promising concrete action steps that can be undertaken to strengthen partnerships in 

your communities. For additional resources, please visit ACL’s COVID-19 website and resource page titled How 

ACL’s Disability and Aging Network is Advancing Vaccination Efforts.