• Brief POD Accessibility Questionnaire

    2026-2027 PHEP Deliverables

  • Evaluating the accessibility of Points of Dispensing (PODs) is important to reducing barriers for people with disabilities and Access and Functional Needs (AFN). 

    The ability for individuals with disabilities to access government services, including mass vaccination activities, is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, many populations without disabilities have support or resource needs related to PODs. Often, these needs relate to communications, preexisting medical/health maintenance requirements, independence, safety and self-determination, and transportation (CMIST). This questionnaire is organized according to the CMIST Framework.

    The data collected will help MT DPHHS prioritize training and resources for future budget periods. Please answer honestly and to the best of your ability. This questionnaire takes a no-fault approach and is meant only to identify areas where DPHHS can provide support. It is not a requirement that you answer "yes" to any items in order to complete the POD Exercise deliverable. 

    This activity supports the 2019 Public Health Emergency Preparedness capabilities #1: Community Preparedness and #8: Medical Countermeasure Dispensing and Administration.

     

    Instructions:

    • If your jurisdiction operates multiple Offsite POD Vaccination Clinics during the deliverable period, select one specific POD date/location for the purposes of this questionnaire. 
    • Submit this form for the quarter in which you complete the POD Vaccination Clinic. 
    • Resource links within the body of the questionnaire are intended to help explain some of the questions. These resources can also be found on the PHEP Resources webpage under Access and Functional Needs. 
    • You may save your work and return to this form to complete the questionnaire at another time. Click "save" at the bottom of the form so you do not lose your work. DO NOT close your browser without performing this step. The form will display a unique link that will take you to your saved form. You may also choose to have it emailed to you. This link is the ONLY way to retrieve your form. You must log in to your saved report with your unique link EVERY 30 DAYS at a minimum to keep it active; otherwise, your form will be deleted from the server and you will have to start over.
    • Email Mackenzie.Mann@Mt.Gov with questions.
  • Select the type of POD are you implementing and assessing for this questionnaire:*
  • Does your POD offer a walk-up tent or building for individuals who walk, ride a bike, or take alternative modes of transportation (non-personal vehicle) to the POD?*

  • CMIST Assessment

    • Communication (C) 

    • Communication

      Ensuring people can receive, understand, act upon, and relay information related to the POD before, during, and after the dispensing event. All members of the public should have equal opportunity to express their questions and concerns and to receive information through announcements, signage, consent forms, and other forums.
    • If your POD offers or requires advance scheduling, pre-registration, or onsite registration via an electronic format (i.e., tablet, website), does the website/form meet ADA Title II web accessibility standards?*

    • What is Americans with Disabilities Act Title II compliance for web accessibility? 

      • U.S. Department of Justice, Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments, April 2024
      • Montana Department of Administration, Digital Accessibility Resource Center
         
    • Did you announce the POD multiple times and over numerous platforms to improve communications access for hard-to-reach populations?*
    • Are written materials in simple, plain language?*

    • What is plain language in public health? CDC, Plain Language Materials and Resources, July 2025

    • Do you offer written materials in any alternative formats (Braille, large font, non-English languages, etc.)?*
    • Does your POD provide live (in-person or virtual) interpretive services for people who do not speak English (including people who communicate in American Sign Language)?*
    • Maintaining Health (M) 

    • Maintaining Health

      Ensuring continuity of health and medical-related needs for people attending the POD.
    • Does your POD offer a separate/quiet space with fewer sensory triggers?*
    • How prepared is your POD to respond to psychological crisis and/or behavioral health needs expressed during the vaccination clinic?*
    • Independence (I) 

    • Independence

      Ensuring people can continue to function independently as long as they are not separated from their mobility devices, assistive technology, vision and communication aids, services animals, etc.
    • Does your POD site have backup power and outlets/charging stations that the public may use while they attend the POD?*
    • How confident are you in your POD staff’s understanding of the legal rights and protections of individuals with service animals?*

    • What are service animals? U.S. Department of Justice, Service Animals

    • Support, Safety, & Self Determination (S) 

    • Support, Safety, & Self Determination

      Ensuring people have adequate support to stay safe and fully participate in the POD while respecting their consent, dignity, and choice.
    • Before and during the POD, do you advertise to community members a process for making accommodation requests and/or reporting accessibility issues?*
    • Have staff, volunteers, and partners working at the POD completed training on disability etiquette, reasonable accommodations, and/or access and functional needs?*
    • Transportation/Physical Access (T) 

    • Transportation and Access to the POD

      Ensuring people can travel to the POD, enter and move through a space, and fully participate in receiving dispensed products without facing physical barriers.
    • Is the POD centrally located for the populations served?*
    • What options do community members have to access the POD if they do not have their own means of transportation?*
    • Rows

    • What are the ADA Standards? U.S. Department of Justice, Americans with Disabilities Act, State and Local Governments and ADA Standards for Accessible Design

  • Should be Empty: