Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021

For close to 60 years, Imagine! has provided services designed to provide the residents of Boulder and Broomfield counties who have intellectual and developmental disabilities with opportunities to fully participate in their communities. These services are delivered with the utmost attention paid to the health and safety of everyone.

That is why that from the very beginning of the pandemic, Imagine!’s Executive Team and Board of Directors set goals to keep the people we serve, and our employees, as safe as possible. As we (hopefully) start to come out on the other side of this pandemic, Imagine! has begun to shift into recovery mode.

Part of this recovery plan is focusing on the safety of all of those in Imagine! services, as well as our employees. The Imagine! Executive Team and Board of Directors will require that all employees be vaccinated effective September 1st, 2021, with some exemptions as protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

We recognize that mandating medical decisions for employees is controversial. While this decision hasn’t been easy, there are many reasons why it is so important.

There is strong evidence to support that the COVID-19 vaccine greatly reduces risk of infection and transmission for those vaccinated. When more people getting vaccinated, more people can enjoy life as it was before the pandemic.

During the pandemic, we implemented several restrictions for those entering the Imagine! Group Home, which serve some of our most vulnerable clients. Many of those clients face significant medical challenges, and can’t receive the vaccine. Some of them could not leave the homes for the duration of the pandemic.

Now we are starting to see several programs open back up and allow in-person activities. Some of those folks who haven’t left their home in several months are returning to their favorite art class or to going to a baseball game. The more of us who are able to get the vaccine, the more protections we can offer those who cannot, allowing all of us to safely return to community activities.

To our community, we urge you: if you are able, please get vaccinated. It not only provides protection for you and your family, but it also helps protect those who cannot get vaccinated.

With your help, we can get closer to returning to the pre-pandemic world. We can’t wait to see all of you in the community soon!

Cara Sheridan,
Imagine! Public Relations Coordinator

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