February 2025 Council Meeting Recap
Table of Contents
TCDD held quarterly Council and Committee meetings from Feb. 4-6 in Austin. Council members awarded grant funding to continue ongoing projects, planned future initiatives, and discussed important disability issues. Here are some highlights from the meetings.
Funding Awards and Stipends
TCDD invests in grant projects to strengthen service and support systems across Texas. Our projects build community capacity to help people with developmental disabilities (DD).
This quarter, Council members awarded funding to continue two ongoing TCDD projects:
- Adults with DD Supporting Aging Family Members (Alamo Area Council of Governments): Develop training and support for people with DD who want to provide caregiving to their aging family members.
- Statewide Capacity Building for Self-Advocates (Texas Advocates): Strengthen organizational infrastructure, support more engaged advocates, and increase members’ ability to participate in advocacy efforts across Texas.
TCDD provides stipends to increase access to disability information and advocacy opportunities. Organizations can apply for stipends for conferences and events, disability-related speakers, and translation and interpretation services.
This quarter, TCDD provided stipends to the following organizations:
- Harris County Department of Education
- Texas A&M University Center on Disability and Development
Council Business and Discussions
The Council continued its development of the draft goals and objectives of TCDD’s next statewide strategic plan, which will guide activities and policy work from 2027-2031. During their meetings, Council members reviewed public comments on the draft goals and objectives submitted during a 40-day public comment period that closed on Jan. 9.
Council members elected Barbara Knighton to serve as the Council vice-chair. They also re-elected Eric Shahid to serve as the self-advocate member at large to the Executive Committee. This committee supervises and evaluates the TCDD executive director; develops and monitors policies and procedures; approves grant awards and monitors the grant-awarding process; and acts on behalf of the full Council for emergency matters.
Throughout the meetings, Council members engaged with speakers on presentations covering important disability issues and initiatives:
- Communication Boards: Council Member Ashley Sattler shared information about communication boards she designs in the Beaumont area that allow children and adults with disabilities to share their thoughts and feelings using graphics and visual aids.
- Disability Advocacy and Leadership Training: Cole Glosser and Yulissa Chávez from the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities shared information about the coalition’s disability advocacy work, including details of the A-Corps program, a TCDD-funded project that provides advocacy and leadership skills training to self-advocates across Texas.
- Healthy Relationships and Sexual Assault Prevention: Michelle “Shell” Schwartz from the SAFE Alliance shared outcomes of a TCDD-funded project to provide education, training, and resources to reduce the risk of sexual assault for people with DD.
- Inclusive Postsecondary Education: Dr. Tamara Shetron from Texas State University shared information about Bobcat RISE (Resilience, Independence, Self-Determination, and Empowerment), a TCDD-funded project that developed a four-year postsecondary educational program for students with DD.
- TCDD Annual Report: Dr. Beth Stalvey, TCDD executive director, shared highlights from the 2025 TCDD Annual Report. The report includes stories and accomplishments as well as insights into emerging needs and effective strategies to support Texans with DD.
Next Meetings
TCDD’s next quarterly meetings are scheduled from May 6-8. To receive updates about future meetings, subscribe to our email alerts.
