Texas group empowers Latino parents to advocate for children with disabilities

What started as an informal support group in Texas for undocumented workers who had been injured while working, has morphed into a mutual aid organization that helps connect immigrants and those who are uninsured with health necessities and resources. The group is unique in the U.S., as it advocates for both disability rights and immigrant rights, while also providing support for disaster relief efforts.

To better serve Mexican citizens living in the U.S., the Mexican government created an initiative known as Health Windowns that helps bridge the gap between immigrants and preventive health care access. Although anyone is welcome to visit the free resource centers or any of the community pop-ups for medical attention, the program targets those who lack health insurance or are hesitant to receive traditional medical care.

In the United States approximately 15% Asian-Americans have no health insurance and have had a difficulty understanding the options available in the Affordable Care Act. Although the White House has reached out to Asian-Americans in video chats, the state and community forums for Asian Americans have proved to be the most successful. Interpreter teams help Asian-Americans with the paperwork and understanding the policies.

Clinica Sierra Vista's Health Insurance Assistance Program helps uninsured and underinsured patients, many of them undocumented immigrants, navigate Medi-Cal enrollment and renewal, Covered California marketplace plans and the clinic's own sliding-fee scale program. In 2025, the program assisted 33,680 Kern County residents.

Black immigrant women are serving as informal "health connectors" in their communities, using shared language and cultural understanding to help immigrants navigate the U.S. health care system. These unpaid navigators guide people through insurance applications, connect them to doctors, host community events and distribute multilingual information to break down barriers to health care.

The OmniSalud program provides zero-premium health care coverage to low-income immigrants without documentation, helping make health care more accessible for those who normally struggle to get it due to their legal status. This year, the program expanded to 11,000 slots and hopes to continue growing.

The Straight Child Foundation works to increase the quality of care provided to children with cerebral palsy and their families. The Foundation has provided physiotherapy and speech therapy to about 35 children with CP and has provided 20 wheelchairs specifically designed for those with CP. The Foundation also hosts yearly camps where CP patients can connect and interact with healthcare workers and other people with CP.

Haske Children Foundation provides medical supplies, check-ups and surgeries to children with disabilities on a regular basis, having served 200 children so far. The Foundation also leads discussions about disabilities, working to address the stigma and change the negative narrative many locals have about those with disabilities.

Toronto’s Vaccine Engagement Teams Grant has awarded $5.5 million to community organizations in 140 neighborhoods to hire and train local ambassadors for vaccine outreach. Because the ambassadors share a lived experience with the communities, they can effectively identify the barriers people face. The on-the-ground effort includes sharing information, advocating for community needs, and helping people access services. The outreach focuses on people often overlooked by government services, such as unhoused people and people who do not speak English or have precarious immigration status.

Because of coordinated partnerships between local governments, state health departments, and nonprofit groups, more and more farmworkers are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. Through the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Farmworker Health program and its partners, nearly 14,000 doses were administered to the farmworker community over two months. Advocates also have to dispel rumors and myths about the vaccines, but they are working to combat that misinformation and make it easier for them to get vaccinated.