> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://usdr.gitbook.io/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://usdr.gitbook.io/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/master.md).

# COVID-19 Communication Toolkit: A Health Equity Lens

This toolkit offers detailed, step-by-step guidance to help health communicators, content developers, educators, and health promotion leaders put health equity recommendations into COVID-19 communication action. The toolkit is a collection of information we at U.S. Digital Response have learned and trends analyzed through evidence-based research such as:

1. Working with multiple local and state government agencies, including communication specialists and content managers, 
2. Creating content and user experience (UX) recommendations across devices and browsers to impact vaccination information-seeking behavior, and 
3. Our collective decades of experience in health equity, communication, and literacy directly educating and reaching communities.

This is a living document. We will continuously update it as we learn more from government and public health officials, communication teams, and health equity task forces. 

If you would like more information or pro-bono support from our teams of technologists at USDR, please [reach out](https://www.usdigitalresponse.org/request-help/). We will get back to you within hours.

### Who is this toolkit for?

This toolkit is for government communications and media development teams, trusted messenger centers, and community-based organizations that are responsible for designing, developing, and evaluating resident-facing COVID-19 digital tools with a health equity lens. These tools include but are not limited to websites, mobile apps, and digital print media with the goal of helping residents find COVID-19 vaccination and testing information easily and seamlessly.

### **What is in this toolkit?**

1. [**Background**](/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/introduction/background.md): Top communication needs that USDR has identified from information architecture, plain language, and transcreation.
2. [**Health equity framework:** ](/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/introduction/health-equity-framework-overview/relationships-and-networks.md)The lens this toolkit takes in health communication literacy to reach all communities including those marginalized in access to COVID-19 vaccines.
3. [**What we know:** ](/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/what-we-know/resident-personas.md)General facts and trends from residents as personas in various phases in the vaccination rollout in the US.
4. [**Tools and templates:** ](/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/tools-and-templates/checklists.md)Actionable steps and checklists to evaluate and make design and content changes to COVID-19 vaccine websites and mobile apps.
5. [**Key population considerations**](/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/key-population-considerations/elderly-and-the-aging-population.md)**:** Evidence-based tools and approaches to increase health equity for black and brown communities, the elderly, people with disabilities, and rural and hard-to-reach communities.
6. [**Special Topics:** ](/covid-communication-toolkit-health-equity/special-topics/data-collection-visualization-and-reporting.md)Insights on popular topics such as vaccine resistance and hesitancy, multilingual translation for diverse residence, and data reporting.