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 highlights TCDD activities and initiatives but may also share information from other organizations.
Table of Contents
TCDD Launches Self-Paced Online Learning Center
The TCDD Learning Center offers with free training courses for people with developmental disabilities (DD), family members, and professionals who support the disability community. The courses use clear language, step-by-step instruction, and self-paced learning to help participants build skills, confidence, and independence. Courses cover topics such as advocacy, community living, emergency preparedness, healthcare, and more. Whether you’re new to disability advocacy and unsure how to begin, or you’re already an experienced advocate exploring your next steps, the TCDD Learning Center has resources to support you.
Staying Safe During Hurricane Season in Texas
The Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) Hurricane Preparedness for Texans with Disabilities guide (PDF, 9 pages, 2.8 MB) provides information on emergency planning, evacuation, communication access, backup power, healthcare, housing, and recovery resources. Hurricane season can create additional challenges for people with disabilities when preparing for severe weather and recovering afterward. The guide encourages Texans to prepare by making an emergency plan, gathering supplies, and learning about available services before a disaster happens.
You can find additional emergency preparedness support and guidance by visiting the DRTx website or the TCDD website.
New Phone Line to Find Community Care Services
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has created a statewide phone line that Texans can use to find community care services in their area. You can access the phone line by calling 888-241-1570. When you call, you’ll be asked for your ZIP code and connected to a local office that can provide information about the following services:
- adult foster care
- community attendant services
- consumer-managed personal attendant services
- day activity health services
- emergency response services
- family care
- home-delivered meals
- primary home care
- residential care
- special services to people with disabilities
For more information on community-based services and long-term services, visit the HHSC long-term care providers webpage.
Quotable
"I'd like to see that every healthcare learner, regardless of what professional school you go into, has exposure and training to be able to communicate and examine all people."
— Dr. Kathryn Jordan Kemere, assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, in a recent video interview about a TCDD-funded project that is improving healthcare access, self-direction, and outcomes for Texans with DD.
Share Input on Protection and Advocacy Organizations
The U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) is asking for public feedback through an online survey about protection and advocacy organizations, also called P&As. These organizations protect the rights of people with disabilities and provide legal assistance when those rights are violated. Disability Rights Texas is the P&A organization serving our state. Survey responses will help improve access to services, increase public awareness, and strengthen the P&A network nationwide. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, Aug. 7.
Study Looks at Health and Daily Living Activities
The Texas Center for Disability Studies at The University of Texas at Austin is interviewing adults ages 22–49 about their caregivers and life experiences. The interviews are part of the SALUD (Supporting Access to Learning, Understanding, and Healthy Development for Adults with IDD) study, which aims to learn more about the health and daily lives of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live with their families. People who participate in the interviews can get paid for their time. To learn more about this opportunity, complete the SALUD Research Interest Form.
- Additional information for people with disabilities (PDF)
- Additional information for family members and caregivers (PDF)
Project Spotlight: Enhancing Disability Advocacy Across Generations
Baylor University, through the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing, is enhancing advocacy training for Texans with DD and their family members, including people from communities that often have less access to services and supports. The TCDD-funded project is part of a larger initiative to develop a deeper understanding of the disability experience, self-perceptions, preferred learning styles, and preferred advocacy methods of people with DD and family members across generational ages and life experiences. This initiative will provide crucial insights into the diverse needs of Texans with disabilities while informing future training resources that are accessible, inclusive, and relevant to disability advocates.
As part of the project, Baylor created the Raising Texas Voices study to learn what matters most to Texans with disabilities and their families when it comes to language, advocacy, and learning. The study includes an online survey seeking input from Texans with disabilities, their families, and the professionals or providers who serve them. Visit the Raising Texas Voices website to learn more about the project and complete the survey.
