TCDD Extra: October 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of TCDD Extra, a newsletter published every two months with a selection of recent disability news, resources, training, advocacy opportunities, and more. This newsletter may include TCDD-led initiatives as well as information from other organizations. 

In this edition:

• accessible voting resources for people with disabilities;
• transportation options to election polling locations;
• roundtable conversations on TCDD policy priorities;
• employment resources for workers with disabilities;
• and more.

Voting & Accessibility: What You Should Know

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, and TCDD has gathered resources to support voters with disabilities. The resources cover new Texas accessible voting laws, how to receive assistance to vote at polling locations, and more.

In addition to resources for voters, the video “People with Disabilities Vote: Here’s What Poll Workers Should Know” shares essential information for poll workers to ensure accessible voting. The video covers topics such as voting with accommodations and how poll workers can support voters with disabilities. TCDD developed this video in collaboration with partners in the disability community.

Planning Transportation to Polling Locations

If you want to vote in person but need a ride to the polls, plan your transportation ahead of time. Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) has gathered information about different transportation options across Texas. The Find a Ride Guide includes information on transportation providers, phone numbers, websites, fares, accessibility options, and more. The guide is a spreadsheet that you can download and open using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

If you need help accessing the Find a Ride Guide, you can fill out this form. You can also get help finding a ride by calling the DRTx Voting Rights Hotline at 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) or by emailing vote@DRTX.org.

TCDD Public Policy Priorities Roundtable

With the 89th Texas legislative session beginning in January 2025, TCDD is hosting a series of roundtable conversations focused on the Council’s Public Policy Priorities. The online events will help TCDD gather input for the upcoming session. Participants will be able to provide feedback on the priorities, discuss how they or their families are impacted by the topics, and hear stories from other Texans facing similar issues. Each event will focus on one TCDD priority.

Go to TCDD Public Policy Priorities Roundtable to find dates, times, and registration links for each roundtable. The first event, which will cover a priority on personal and civil rights, is scheduled from 2-3 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Texas Lawmakers Urged to Prioritize Child Care

TCDD has joined over 120 other Texas organizations calling for the Texas Legislature to make child care a policy priority during the upcoming legislative session. The organizations delivered a statement to the Legislature on Oct. 9 that outlined several policy recommendations. The recommendations to lawmakers included providing funding to address the long waitlist for the state’s child care scholarship program and improving reimbursement rates for participating child care providers.

NDEAM 2024: Access to Good Jobs for All

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which celebrates the value and talent of workers with disabilities. To support a year-round commitment to ensuring workers with disabilities have access to meaningful jobs and career advancement, TCDD shared information, resources, and activity ideas. Here are a few examples:

• Lex Frieden Employment Awards: Named for disability rights champion Lex Frieden, these awards honor Texas employers that lead the way in disability employment and recognizes local organizations and people for their service to Texans with disabilities. Learn more about this year’s award honorees.
• Practical Skills for Workplace Preparation: An online course for teachers and professionals working with children and young adults with DD. The course develops knowledge and skills to prepare young people to find meaningful employment during the transition into adulthood.
• Texas HireAbility: A statewide initiative that raises awareness of disability employment and shares employer resources on interviewing, hiring, and supporting workers with disabilities. The initiative is a partnership between the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Workforce Solutions, and the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities.
• Workplace Bullying: Information for workers with disabilities who are bullied at their jobs and unsure what to do, including things to know about when bulling happens and what people can do to protect themselves and get legal help.  
    

Learn more and find additional resources at TCDD’s NDEAM 2024 blog post.

Project Spotlight: Collaborative Oral Health Care

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is developing an innovative interdisciplinary training program in collaborative care for people with DD at dental and medical schools across Texas. The TCDD-funded project engages dentists to work with a collaborative care team of professionals from the health care, dental care, and behavioral health fields. Ultimately, the project seeks to expand the number of health care and dental care professionals in Texas who understand the impact of discrimination on health equity for people with DD. This work is part of a TCDD initiative to improve self-direction, accessibility, and effectiveness of health care treatment and supports for people with DD.

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