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Since SB 7 was filed, The Arc of Texas has been coordinating with Texans with disabilities and disability rights organizations to advocate for amendments to remove provisions of the bill that would make it harder for Texans with disabilities to
vote.
Specifically, The Arc of Texas opposes provisions in SB 7 that include
- Requiring voters to prove their disability to vote by mail
- Restricting access to curbside voting through additional and unreasonable requirements
- Adding unnecessary and excessive requirements for people who assist voters with disabilities.
The Arc of Texas staff and members were at the Texas Capitol today with our testimony opposing these provisions of SB 7. However, we were surprised when the public hearing on it ended within the first hour due to a rule that requires additional notice of the public hearing.
This provides Texans with disabilities and their allies more time to share your thoughts on SB 7 and why accommodations for Texas voters with disabilities are critical. We believe the bill will move quickly and will be heard in committee and on the Texas Senate floor within the next week, so time is of the essence. One quick action you can take right now is filling out the League of Women Voters of Texas call to action form to say you oppose voting legislation that discriminates against Texans with disabilities.
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If you are someone with a disability who has voted in Texas in the past by using curbside voting, mail-in voting, or with help from an assister/support person, we need to hear from you. Contact Public Policy & Advocacy Coordinator Nate Lyon by email or 512-454-7748 to share your
experience using these accommodations to cast your ballot and why access to them is important to you. We can help share your story so people understand why accommodations for voters with disabilities is an essential civil right.
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Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 23, the Texas House Committee on Public Education is convening at 8 a.m. to discuss a variety of issues affecting students across the state. In particular, the committee will consider House Bill 144, which would help ensure students receiving special education don't get left behind due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HB 144 would require that school districts prepare written individualized education program
supplements to detail whether the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year IEPs were interrupted, reduced, delayed, suspended, or discontinued and determine whether compensatory education is appropriate. The Arc of Texas supports this bill. You can submit your own public comments about HB 144 online from now until the hearing ends.
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Texas Council of Community Centers will host a virtual event on Wednesday, March 25, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. CT. featuring Jodi Rodgers, an experienced counselor and special education teacher who specializes in educating people with disabilities and the people who support them about relationships and intimacy. Rodgers, a cast member of Netflix's
Love on the Spectrum, will discuss the role of direct support professionals in supporting a person's goals related to friendship and intimacy. Participants will learn to use "discovery tools," such as interviewing and assessments, to determine an individual's needs and wants around friendship and intimacy and set appropriate objectives. Rodgers will also take a look at how direct support professionals can help family members find the right balance between protection and independence
as they support a loved one with IDD navigating interpersonal and intimate relationships. This event is sponsored by the IDD Consortium. Register now to attend
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