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Advocacy
12/21 Ticket to Work Webinar
On December 21, 2016, at 3 p.m. ET, Ticket to Work’s team of disability benefits experts will present the following national Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) webinar:
Ticket to Work: Debunking the Three Biggest Myths about Disability Benefits and Work
WISE webinars are a great first step for people who have a disability and are ready and able to benefit from the social and financial rewards of employment. Please download and post this flyer or forward this invitation to others who might be interested in this event.
The December 21 national WISE webinar will present the following information:
• Find out how Social Security will postpone your medical continuing disability review (CDR) while you are participating in the Ticket to Work program.
• Find out how you can restart your cash benefits without reapplying if your job does not work out.
• Get details on how you can keep your Medicare or Medicaid after you begin replacing your cash benefits with earnings from work.
Register online today at www.choosework.net/wise or call 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).
Governor Greg Abbott Proclaims October Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month
Governor Greg Abbott Proclaims October Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month
Throughout our state’s history, Texans with disabilities have played an outsized role in making Texas the greatest state in our nation to live, work and raise a family. Demonstrating the remarkable qualities of the Texas spirit – courage, independence and ingenuity – Texans have filled some of our highest offices, fought in historic battles and contributed to the art and culture of our state. Each October is designated Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month in Texas. The state’s observance was enacted by the 82nd Texas Legislature with the passage of HB 3616. This law encourages public schools and state agencies to celebrate the accomplishments of people with disabilities. The intent is to increase public awareness of the many achievements of people with disabilities, to encourage public understanding of the disability rights movement, and to reaffirm the local, state, and federal commitment to providing equality and inclusion for people with disabilities. In Governor Abbott’s 2016 Proclamation, he encourages all Texans to learn more about the achievements of Texans with disabilities who have contributed so much to our society and about the disability rights movement as it takes its rightful place as part of the story of Texas. There is no better place to learn about the story of Texas and Texans with disabilities role in our state’s rich history than the University of Texas at Arlington.
The Story of Texas Told Through the Lives of Texans with Disabilities By Dr. Sarah F. Rose, Director, and Trevor Engel, Disability Studies Minor, University of Texas at Arlington People with disabilities make up about twenty percent of the population of the United States and worldwide: one of the largest minorities. Yet their history—and their fight for full civil rights and equal opportunity—is just beginning to be told. As is often the case, Texans have played a prominent role, especially in the disability rights movement that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. “Godfather of the ADA” Justin Dart, Jr. crisscrossed the country during the 1980s, talking with ordinary Americans with disabilities about the barriers they faced. As executive director of the National Council on Disability, “Architect of the ADA” Lex Frieden guided the drafting of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Bob Kafka of ADAPT of Texas, in turn, organized grassroots protests crucial to raising legislators’ awareness about longstanding, systemic barriers. For those seeking to learn—or teach—more, one could hardly do better than explore the thousands of virtual artifacts and teaching tools available at the online Disability History Museum (http://www.disabilitymuseum.org). Closer to home, University of Texas at Arlington’s new Texas Disability History Collection website http://library.uta.edu/txdisabilityhistory/ showcases Texas’s central role in the disability rights movement, especially adapted sports and access to higher education, among many other topics. Students in UT Arlington’s Disability Studies Minor http://disabilitystudies.uta.edu —the first such program in the South—can also study the history of disability. Established in 2013 and sponsored by UTA’s Department of History, the Minor explores the experiences of people with disabilities, as well as how conceptions and representations of disability have shaped human experience.
Editor’s note: During National Disability Employment Awareness Month the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities invited partner agencies and organizations to contribute to our state’s conversation on disability history and employment of people with disabilities. Our leading partner for Texas Disability History Awareness is the University of Texas at Arlington.
The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (Committee) provides GovDelivery updates for informational purposes on a variety of disability related issues for a diverse audience. Updates may include information provided by external sources. The inclusion of this external information does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Committee or the Office of the Governor of any information, policy, product, or service offered by an external source. |
National Disability Voter Registration Week
July 11-15, 2016
The REV UP Campaign is coordinating a National Disability Voter Registration Week to increase the political power of people with disabilities while also engaging candidates and the media to recognize the disability community.
On May 24th, we held an Organizing & Training Webinar to help prepare for National Disability Voter Registration Week. The purpose of the webinar was to aid organizers across the country to hold their own voter registration events – both physically and online – to increase the number of people with disabilities who are registered to vote and ultimately the number of people with disabilities who cast their ballots on election day this November and in future elections.
View the captioned recording of the webinar here.
Ways to Participate in National Disability Voter Registration Week
- Hold a press event or conference with local partners to announce national and local efforts to get new people with disabilities registered to vote, educated on disability issues, and committed to get out the DISABILITY VOTE. If possible, coordinate multiple sites around your state to host press events at the same time.
- Organize a rally of voters with disabilities and disability advocates to promote the REV UP message and the power of the DISABILITY VOTE.
- Write letters to the editor or Op-Eds and engage local radio or TV stations on the growing efforts by the disability community to become an influential voice in electoral politics this November and beyond.
- Utilize your mail, email, and social media networks to provide information on voter registration and relevant disability issues in your area while also encouraging people to commit to vote on Election Day.
- Host a workshop or training on state voter registration rules as well as your rights as a person with a disability.
- Collect Data on voters with disabilities in your area – this will help us build a broader movement to show the power of the disability voting bloc.
- Include REV UP and voter registration tables at upcoming events (especially any events around the 26th anniversary of the ADA).
- Connect with other disability rights and voting rights organizations in your area.
- Make your organization a polling place (Resources: How To Serve As A Polling Site and ADA Polling Place Checklist).
- Go to your City Council, County Commissioner, State Representative, etc. to get the week of 7/11 – 7/15 declared DISABILITY VOTER REGISTRATION WEEK (a draft Resolution is available here).
National Disability Voter Registration Week – Promotional Flyers
The REV UP Campaign aims to increase the political power of the disability community while also engaging candidates and the media on disability issues.REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!
Thank you for doing your part to make the DISABILITY VOTE count!
VOTE as if your life depends on it—Because it DOES!
Resources for Texas Students Who are Blind
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Texas State Independent Living Council will hold a public hearing
The Texas State Independent Living Council will hold a public hearing to gather feedback on the draft of the FY17-19 State Plan for Independent Living.
Where: Houston Center for Independent Living, 6201 Bonhomme Rd, STE 150, Houston, TX 77036
When: Tuesday, June 7, 2016; 10 AM-12 PM
Who: People with disabilities, family members, service providers, advocates, and others interested in disability issues and the Independent Living needs and services of Texas.
A copy of the State Plan draft is available for download at http://www.txsilc.org/page_state_plan.html.
Accommodations: Individuals who plan to attend the meeting and need accommodations are asked to contact the TX SILC seven business days prior to the meeting. Contact Sandra Bitter at 512-371-7353 or Sandra@txsilc.org. CART Captioning and ASL interpreters will be provided.