Policy Recommendations

On behalf of the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, it is our privilege to release our policy recommendations for the 2011-2013 biennium and the 82nd Legislative Session.

Download: Policy Recommendations for 2011-2013 and 82 Legislative Session (1 MB Word Document)

This biennium, the Committee provides 115 recommendations that are structured into ten issue areas which are:

• Access
• Communications
• Education
• Emergency Management
• Health
• Housing
• Recreation
• Transportation
• Veterans
• Workforce

These recommendations represent eighteen months of work and are based on several areas of input. The staff and committee reviewed research and emerging trends and the disability related House and Senate Interim studies. Additionally, we conducted data analysis over the biennium of over 2,112 citizen calls and emails from our database and conducted three accessible surveys, including a "Citizen Survey for the 82nd Legislative Session." There were over 1,900 citizens who took the survey and contributed a cumulative 10,832 comments on the ten issue areas. The Committee considered priorities of Texans with a wide variety of disabilities including physical, developmental, mental, sensory and cognitive disabilities. A survey on emergency management was conducted in January of 2010 related to pandemic influenza and from July to October of 2010, a survey related to Veterans with disabilities was conducted with 9,300 veterans completing the survey with cumulative 10,410 additional comments. The Committee met quarterly during 2010 where issues were examined and discussed as potential recommendations.

We are hopeful that these recommendations will lead to a better understanding of the needs and issues related to Texans with disabilities and provide productive solutions as we look to the future.