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Texas Partners in Policymaking (Partners) is a statewide leadership development training program for self-advocates and families of individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). First created by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in 1987, the program is now international and has trained over 27,000 advocates. The Texas chapter is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 program year. This innovative statewide leadership development training program will help shape a new generation of leaders to work on improving the lives of people with DD in Texas! Previous graduates have gone on to work with policymakers to change systems, and some have gone on to become policymakers themselves. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2021.
Successful applicants will learn the skills necessary to develop positive partnerships with elected officials and other community leaders. These skills empower participants to more effectively advocate for disability issues and impact policy change, leading to more inclusion and self-determination for people with DD. Participants will hear from state and national experts on disability issues, all of whom understand the importance of advocacy in creating good policy. Participants will learn about topics like:
- community living;
- disability history;
- employment;
- inclusive education; and
- the Texas Legislature.
The program consists of seven two-day training sessions, held monthly from September 2021 to April 2022. There will not be a session in December. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. In-person sessions are held in San Antonio and Austin, but sessions may be held in-person or online. Partners also attend one online meeting a month. There is no cost to participate, and authorized travel costs will be covered. Only Texas residents are eligible to apply. The deadline to apply is 1 p.m. CT on Monday, March 15, 2021.
To learn more about the program, and to apply, visit the Texas Partners in Policymaking website. Partners is a project of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD).
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