Position Statements

TCDD draws from the values in the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bills of Rights Act in evaluating and responding to current and future policy and funding issues that might affect people with developmental disabilities (DD) in Texas. We support legislation that advances the inclusion of people with DD in all facets of community life by eliminating barriers, creating opportunities, empowering people, and promoting innovation.

Housing

All people with DD have the right to safe, accessible, affordable, and integrated housing. Home and community-based care services and supports should be widely available to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to live and remain in the community throughout their lifespan. Furthermore, each person has unique needs and preferences, and adults with disabilities should have the opportunity, flexibility, and supports necessary to exercise self-determination and decide with whom and where in their community they would like to live.

Community Living

All people with DD, regardless of age, should:

• have resources and timely access to opportunities and the supports necessary to make their own decisions and be included in community life;
• have interdependent relationships;
• live in homes and communities;
• avoid unlawful discrimination, unjustified segregation, and unnecessary institutionalization;
• and make contributions to their families and communities.

Services and Benefits Coordination

The full inclusion of people with disabilities in community life requires that they are informed about and understand the array of services, supports, and benefits options available to them, and that they meaningfully participate and lead in the planning and directing of the services they receive.

Access to Health Care

All people, regardless of their disability, age, or income level, should have access to affordable, comprehensive health care. TCDD supports efforts and initiatives to increase the accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness of health care for everyone.

Attendant Workforce

Care attendants, regardless of setting, deserve livable wages and fair benefits, and that a stable and well-trained workforce provides more opportunities for Texans with disabilities to live in their community.

Familial Support

All children belong in families where they feel loved and cared for, and that children, teens, and young adults with DD have the potential for achieving independence and success. To help ensure this, families must have timely access to supports, services, and benefits for their loved ones with DD throughout their lifespans.

Emergency Preparedness

People with DD deserve respectful, prompt, and efficient assistance during “shelter in place,” evacuation, and relocation resulting from a natural disaster or emergency event. Individuals must have access to appropriate and accessible transportation, shelter, medical and mental health care, and information on temporary support services.

Education

All children deserve access to early education and intervention services that promote success and independence. When students, children with DD have a right to an appropriate, individualized, and quality education, alongside their non-disabled peers, that empowers and prepares them for life post-graduation.

Transition from School to Adult Life

Students with disabilities should be equipped to enter postsecondary education, the workforce, and their communities ready to pursue opportunities that are both relevant and meaningful. Students with disabilities should be given opportunities to develop the self-advocacy skills necessary to foster independence and fulfillment in life after graduation.

Higher Education

Students with disabilities deserve the preparation and support necessary to successfully transition into higher education and, ultimately, meaningful employment postgraduation. Students with disabilities deserve the opportunity to engage in career exploration activities and receive college preparation in high school through the support of their college counselors, teachers, and Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services. While participating in higher education, students with disabilities should have the opportunity to access campus life alongside their nondisabled peers and receive meaningful evidence of their academic achievements upon completion of their programs.

Employment

TCDD supports the state’s Employment First law. People with DD have the right to pursue and obtain meaningful employment with competitive wages, job training, professional growth, and career enhancement. Opportunities for employment in the community, and the supports needed to seize those opportunities, including education about benefits maintenance, must be readily available to people with disabilities without discrimination or segregation.

Transportation

Transportation options — including paratransit, rideshare services, and autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles — are essential to quality of life and integration into the community and must meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a safe, reliable, convenient,
affordable, timely, and accessible manner.

Guardianship and Supported Decision-making

TCDD supports increasing opportunities for and protecting the self-determination and civil rights of people with developmental disabilities. Independent or supported decision-making must be the first and preferred option for people with DD, including when guardianship is being explored.

Personal and Civil Rights

All people with DD are entitled to human, personal, and civil rights, including the right to privacy. TCDD recognizes that people with DD are at a higher risk of having their civil rights violated; therefore, the equal protection and enforcement of their rights are crucial as is the liberty to exercise those rights.

Criminal Justice

People with DD — whether as victims, suspects, or witnesses of a crime — have the right to impartial justice, fair treatment, and reasonable accommodations in all areas of the criminal justice system.