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The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) welcomes all Texans to join us for our quarterly meeting on April 28-29, 2026, in El Paso, Texas. Attendees have the options of joining the meeting in person or virtually. To participate virtually, registration through the Zoom links below is required.
April 28 & 29, 2026
Tuesday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (MT); 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (CST)
Wednesday 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (MT); 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Workforce Solutions Borderplex
8825 North Loop Drive, Suite 122
El Paso, Texas 79907
Zoom Registration Link
April 28th Zoom link: https://txgov-us.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_moExIgcxT86lF6ACCCAPEQ
April 29th Zoom link: https://txgov-us.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_IGbHRblsS2moE6MiyngSFw
In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, the meeting agenda is posted in the Texas Register on the Secretary of State’s website.
A public meeting of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities will be conducted under Texas Government Code Section 551.127, related to meetings involving members joining by videoconference call. It is the intent of the Committee to have the chairperson present in Waco, Texas. This location will be open to the public during the open portions of the meeting. Other members of the Committee will join by videoconference from separate locations.
Members of the public will also have access to a live audiovisual stream of the meeting in addition to the option to be physically present at the location. The Committee will record the video and audio of the meeting and make the recording available upon request. Email requests to publicrecords@gov.texas.gov. For questions, contact (512) 463-5739 or email gcpd@gov.texas.gov.
Meeting Materials Available at: https://gov.texas.gov/organization/disabilities/committee-meetings
Day One – April 28, 2026
1. Call to Order/ Roll Call and Introductions (begin recording), Ellen Bauman, Chair
2. Approval of Committee Member Absences as Submitted (Discussion/Possible Action)
3. Approval of Summary Minutes for January 2026 (Discussion/Possible Action)
4. Listening to the El Paso Disability Community
(15 minutes per presentation)
a. City of El Paso ADA Update – Maricruz Chavez, ADA Coordinator
b. El Paso City Accessibility Advisory Committee – Michael I. Adjemian, Chair
c. Volar – Luis Enrique Chew, Executive Director
d. Children's Disabilities Information Coalition – Patricia Angelica Santibañez, Project Director
e. Project Amistad, Denise Apodaca, ADTRC Supervisor
BREAK
5. Public Comment
(3 minutes per presentation)
6. Reports from Invited Ex Officio Agency Representatives, Including Follow Up Topics from Previous Meetings (Discussion/Possible Action)
a. Department of Family and Protective Services – Hector Ortiz
b. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – Marsha Godeaux
i. Update on Evolving Accessibility Standards and/or Practices for Digital Elevator Interfaces (Discussion/Possible Action)
c. Texas Workforce Commission – Tammy Ames, VR Division Director and Lisa Givens
d. Health and Human Services Commission – Clair Benitez
e. Texas State Independent Living Council – Janet Sharkis
f. Texas Education Agency – Elyse Lieberman
LUNCH
7. Developing Guidance for Emergency Preparedness Individual Education Program (IEP) Goals, Including Cell Phone Permission for Students with Certain Disabilities - Laura Briones and Shane Sexton, TEA (Discussion/Possible Action)
8. Update on Senate Bill 57 – Brian Clason, Associate Director of School Safety Readiness, Texas School Safety Center (Discussion/Possible Action)
9. Policy Recommendation for Student Enrollment Protections at Residential Schools for Special Populations– Heather Skeen and Ross Brennan, Parents of TSD Student (Discussion/Possible Action)
BREAK
10. Policy Recommendation for Expanding Access to Post-Secondary Transition Services – Hon. Vilma Luna, Former Member Texas House of Representatives – District 33 (Discussion/Possible Action)
11. Executive Director Report (Discussion/Possible Action)
a. Subcommittee Reports
i. Accessible Parking Task Force
ii. Adaptive Sports and Recreation Subcommittee
iii. Consumer Directed Service Waiver Assessment and Renewals Task Force
iv. Eviction Protection Task Force
v. Guardianship Subcommittee
vi. Sensory Integration Task Force
b. Community Outreach
i. Driving with Disability Webinar Press Event
ii. NDEAM Poster Contest
iii. Call for Nominations: Lex Frieden Employment Awards
iv. Local Committee Update
v. Upcoming Accessibility and Disability Webinars
c. Public Policy Update
d. Sunset Commission Updates for GCPD
12. Recess – Ellen Bauman, Chair
Day Two – April 29, 2026
13. Reconvene (begin recording), Ellen Bauman, Chair
14. Roll Call / Approval of Committee Member Absences as Reported (Discussion/Possible Action)
15. Public Comment
(3 minutes per presentation)
16. School Climate and Disability Awareness Policy Proposal – Josephine Sullivan, GCPD Adaptive Sports and Recreation Subcommittee Chair, and Melinda Crockom, Community Outreach and Information Coordinator (Discussion/Possible Action)
17. Amy Young Barrier Removal Program – Abigail Versyp, Director of Single Family and Homeless Program with TDHCA (Discussion/Possible Action)
18. Policy Recommendation on Increased Funding and Support for Amy Young Barrier Removal Program – Cole Glosser, Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, and Tanya Lavelle, Disability Rights Texas (Discussion/Possible Action)
19. Policy Lessons from Winter Storm Uri and Impacts on the Disability Community – Dr. Angela Frederick, Author of Disabled Power (Discussion/Possible Action)
BREAK
20. Policy Discussion from Past Public Comment, Discussions, and Meetings
a. Update on Motor Vehicle Tax Exemption Clarification Policy Proposal
21. Individual Member Reports on Outreach (Discussion)
22. Future Agenda Items and Meeting Locations (Discussion/Possible Action)
23. Adjournment – Ellen Bauman, Chair
Notice of Assistance at Public Meetings
The Committee will provide Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) and American Sign Language Interpretation for this meeting. Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need assistance, such as materials in an alternate format, contact the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting. Phone: 512-463-5739 E-mail: gcpd@gov.texas.gov.
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