Join the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD) as we celebrate March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. In partnership with the national awareness campaign by the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), TCDD asks Texans to take this time to connect with and learn more about their neighbors with developmental disabilities (DD). Together, we can create a more inclusive Texas where people with disabilities are fully included in their communities and exercise control over their own lives.
Each year, a theme is chosen for DD Awareness Month. According to the NACDD, this year’s theme, “Beyond the Conversation,” aims to ask these questions:
- Once the conversations have taken place, what comes next?
- What are communities doing to create change?
It is time to go beyond the conversation and take action.
Get Involved
Throughout March, TCDD will raise awareness about innovations to strengthen community supports, highlight advocacy opportunities, provide updates from the Texas State Capitol, and more.
TCDD Disability Policy Academy
This month, TCDD will host a virtual Disability Policy Academy to highlight important disability-related topics being considered during the 88th Texas legislative session. Open to legislative offices, advocates, and the general public, the presentation will be an opportunity for Texas disability organizations to share their top goals for the session.
The event will take place virtually over Zoom on Wednesday, March 15, from 1-2:30 p.m. CT.
Register Online – Registration has ended.
The National Association of Governor’s Committees Quarterly Meeting
The Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities will host the online quarterly meeting of the National Association of Governor’s Committees on Thursday, March 2, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT.
The meeting’s topic is “Adult Changing Tables and Changing Rooms” and will include presentations on:
- Recent updates to the international building code standards for adult changing tables developed by the International Code Council
- The landscape around the country for implementation of adult changing tables
- A brief presentation from the Iowa Department of Transportation on its best-practice implementation of adult changing tables at its highway rest areas
- Innovations including portable adult changing station solutions
- Q&A with a panel of experts
- Next steps for advocacy at the local, state, and national level
The meeting, which will be held via Zoom, will be accessible with provided CART and ASL services.
Register Online – Registration has ended.
TCDD Texas Legislative News
The 88th Texas Legislature is in session, and TCDD is providing regular updates on what’s happening at the Capitol. These weekly updates include important disability-related news, testimony, hearings to watch, legislative resources, and more. To ensure you receive our updates regarding legislative activities, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Access Resources
Community members can get involved throughout the month by accessing resources on TCDD’s website and social media channels; connecting with policymakers during the Texas legislative session; and engaging with activities coordinated by TCDD regional coordinators throughout the state.
TCDD strives to create opportunities for all Texans with disabilities to be fully included in their communities and exercise control over their own lives. The Council funds innovative projects across the state connecting with individuals with disabilities, caregivers, partners, and providers in the communities where they live and work. TCDD serves as a resource to the state government to create responsive policies and systems and helps communities across Texas build capacity to support and include people with DD in all areas of life.
Read the Official Proclamation from Gov. Greg Abbott
In an official proclamation from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declaring March DD Awareness Month, the governor stated, “Texas is stronger when all her citizens are fully integrated into their communities. To this end, when students with developmental disabilities are included in classroom settings outside of special education, they are more likely to achieve their full academic potential, and when adults with disabilities are given opportunities in our workforce, they are able to earn a competitive wage, work as part of a team, and support their local economy. This spirit of inclusion brings with it benefits at the societal, community, and individual levels, and it enables people with developmental disabilities to lead longer, healthier lives, engage more fully with the world around them, and give back to others.”
