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
We’re Here: Then, Now, Always for DD Awareness
March is Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month, a time to highlight and honor how people with and without disabilities come together to form strong communities. This year, TCDD joins the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and disability advocates across the country to recognize our neighbors, friends, and family members with DD.
The 2026 theme of DD Awareness Month is “We’re Here: Then, Now, Always,” which highlights how far the disability community has come and why continued advocacy efforts are crucial for inclusive community living.
Raising awareness for disability advocacy is not limited to one month. Throughout the year, you’ll have opportunities to participate in NACDD’s “We’re Here” initiatives. Get involved, share your story, and connect with key decision-makers.
Texas communities are stronger when everyone has access and the opportunity to reach their goals. TCDD Disability Community Coordinators, in partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, are connecting with communities throughout the state in honor of DD Awareness Month. Want to get your community involved? Connect with your Disability Community Coordinator today!
Raising Texas Voices for Advocacy and Connection
Raising Texas Voices is a statewide research study to learn what matters most to people with disabilities and their families in the areas of language, advocacy, and learning. Led by the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing, the study includes an online survey seeking input from Texans with disabilities, their families, and the professionals or providers who serve them. Learn more and complete the survey on the Raising Texas Voices website.
This work is part of a TCDD-funded project to gather data and insight from Texas communities to inform best practices for disability advocacy that are inclusive, culturally relevant, and generationally responsive. The Raising Texas Voices project will also develop recommendations for ensuring that people with disabilities have a significant voice in shaping policies that impact their lives.
Rehab Council Seeks Input on Vocational Services
The Rehabilitation Council of Texas is hosting a series of “town hall” meetings to gather input and learn more about the challenges facing Texans with disabilities seeking employment. Participants can share their experiences and ideas to help shape the future of statewide vocational rehabilitation services. You can attend meetings in person as well as virtually through Zoom. Meetings have already taken place in Beaumont and Pasadena. Future meetings are scheduled in San Antonio, San Angelo, and Dallas. To find meeting details and additional ways to participate, visit the Texas Workforce Commission’s website.
Virtual Call Series on Disability Policy and Action
The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities has restarted its Raise Your Voice! virtual call series, which features discussions on major policy developments and opportunities for disability advocates to connect with each other and take action on issues they care about. The virtual calls are held at 2 p.m. Central time on the fourth Tuesday of each month. To find more information and register for the next call, visit the Raise Your Voice! webpage.
Quotable
"Everyone should know that youth with disabilities are capable and competent. Everyone should be willing to give youth with disabilities the support they need to reach their potential.”
— Excerpt from the “Youth Ambassador Call to Action on Alternatives to Guardianship,” published recently by the Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice (CYVYC), a national resource center for youth with disabilities. Created by the center’s youth ambassadors, the “Call to Action” document features insight on the importance of alternatives to guardianship, including supported decision-making agreements. The document also provides recommendations for families, policymakers, service providers, and others to increase access to alternatives to guardianship for youth with disabilities.
Interactive Guide Offers Insight on School Discipline
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) recently updated its Interactive School Discipline Guide, which helps parents and school districts understand the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when disciplining a student with a disability. The interactive guide asks a parent or guardian questions about their child’s situation, then provides relevant information based on the responses. DRTx says the online resource is designed for parents or guardians whose children either receive special education services or are suspected of having a need for special education services and have had disciplinary action taken against them by their school. Learn more on the DRTx website.
Project Spotlight: Developing Effective Leaders and Advocates
Project LEAD (Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Self-Determination) provides leadership development and advocacy training for adults with DD to become effective self-advocates and community leaders. Coordinated by Texas Advocates, the TCDD-funded project promotes self-advocate participation on boards, taskforces, and other committees that affect disability policies. By providing support and resources, Project LEAD prepares participants for important leadership roles on local, regional, and statewide levels.
As part of the project, Texas Advocates developed a series of videos covering topics such as building confidence in talking with others about disability advocacy; preparing and participating in meetings; and ensuring self-advocates are meaningfully included in discussions.
Project Spotlight: Deepening Civic Participation and Engagement
The Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition recently completed a TCDD-funded project that provided training resources and opportunities for people with DD in El Paso to address issues important to their independence, self-determination, and inclusion in community life. Project participants worked with an El Paso City Council member to develop an internship program for people with disabilities to develop employment skills in city departments. Participants also successfully advocated for a formal proclamation from the City of El Paso that acknowledged the importance of expanding inclusive and accessible job opportunities for people with disabilities.
