Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, TCDD, will co-host Community Conversations across Texas this summer to gather input from people interested in disability-related issues.
“We want to determine how to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their caregivers, so we are opening up the lines of communication for them tell us their needs,” said Beth Stalvey, Ph.D., executive director, TCDD, Austin.
Andy Crocker, AgriLife Extension statewide program specialist in gerontology and health, Amarillo, added, “AgriLife Extension’s mission to be responsive to local needs and our presence in every county across Texas fits perfectly with this listening session effort.”
Crocker is the principle investigator in the newly formed partnership between AgriLife Extension and TCDD, leveraging the vast AgriLife Extension network to help TCDD reach all corners of Texas.
During a series of online events, Texas residents will participate in facilitated discussions and share ideas that could ultimately improve the lives of people with disabilities throughout the state.
Disability conversations
Input during the Community Conversations will then be used to shape TCDD’s next state plan priorities and other educational programming needs through the regional AgriLife Extension network.
TCDD is interested in receiving input from anyone who is interested in — or impacted by — disability-related issues, especially people who are unserved or underserved by the service system.
TCDD regional coordinators will facilitate the Community Conversations in six regions: North, East, Coastal, Central, South and West Texas. Discussions will center on specific topics and residents will have an opportunity to share their experiences and ideas.
In the interest of public health and safety, each event will be conducted online and residents can participate via video or teleconference. Residents are asked to register before the events to participate.
Here is a list of the event dates, times and discussion topics by region. Clicking on the links will take participants to more information and registration links for each session.
West Texas Community Conversations:
June 23 – 10 a.m. – Community and Family Long-term Supports and Service
June 30 – 10 a.m. – Protection, Advocacy and Civil Rights
July 7 – 10 a.m. – Early Intervention, Child Care and Education
North Texas Community Conversations:
June 22 – 1 p.m. – Employment
June 29 – 1 p.m. – Community and Family Long-term Supports and Services
July 6 – 1 p.m. – Housing and Transportation
East Texas Community Conversations:
June 24 – 1 p.m. – Employment
July 1 – 1 p.m. – Early Intervention, Child Care and Education
July 8 – 1 p.m. – Health, Wellness and Access to Care
Coastal Texas Community Conversations:
June 23 – 2 p.m. – Early Intervention, Child Care and Education
June 29 – 2 p.m. – Housing and Transportation
July 7 – 2 p.m. – Disaster/Emergency Management
Central Texas Community Conversations:
July 7 – 5 p.m. – Community and Family Long-term Supports and Services
July 9 – 1 p.m. – Protection, Advocacy and Civil Rights
South Texas Community Conversations:
June 25 – 2 p.m. – Employment
July 2 – 2 p.m. – Employment in Spanish
July 9 – 2 p.m. – Early Intervention, Child Care and Education in Spanish
July 10 – 2 p.m. – Housing and Transportation
Residents who can’t participate in a Community Conversation but would still like to provide input can do so online. For more information about the Community Conversations and other ways to provide input, visit the TCDD website.
-30-
