On July 26, we will celebrate 32 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. Since then many barriers to inclusion have been removed, but we still have work to do to make our communities accessible to all. Celebrate the ADA this month with Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) by joining our mission of… Continue reading “Celebrate the ADA With Us”
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) offers its deepest condolences to everyone who was impacted by the mass shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary School yesterday. We mourn the loss of those who were senselessly killed, and our hearts go out to the students, school personnel, families, and other members of the Uvalde community. DRTx is the… Continue reading “DRTx Statement on Mass Shooting in Uvalde”
May is Mental Health Month, so we checked in with some members of the Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council to see what issues were impacting Texans with mental illness. They said that the stigma associated with having a mental illness is still one of the… Continue reading “Stigma Is Still One of the Biggest Challenges”
May is Mental Health Month, a great time to raise awareness about mental illness and the importance of mental health. This is also a great time to raise awareness about how Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) protects the rights of people with mental illness and how you can get help or get involved. It’s Everywhere In… Continue reading “Advocating for People with Mental Illness: It’s What We Do”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. People with disabilities are victimized by crime at higher rates than the rest of the population, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Sexual assault and abuse of people with disabilities often goes unreported. If you or someone you care about has a disability and has been sexually assaulted… Continue reading “Sexual Assault and People with Disabilities”
March is Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month, a great time to focus on learning more about what you can do to create a community where people with DD are included in all aspects of life and are treated with dignity and respect. What is DD? A DD is a lifelong condition that shows up during… Continue reading “Creating a Community Where All Are Respected and Included”
DRTx, joined by several other organizations, filed a friend-of-the-court Brief in the United States Supreme Court in a case where jailors placed a man they knew to be suicidal in a cell with a 30-inch telephone cord that the inmate proceeded to use to die by suicide. The Brief discusses the well-known and well-documented risks… Continue reading “DRTx Files Brief Involving Suicide of Inmate with Mental Illness”
In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri devastated many parts of Texas and severely impacted the lives of many people with disabilities. The winter storm ushered in extremely cold temperatures and a lot of snow, leaving many people stranded without access to power and water for days on end. Winter is here once again, and it… Continue reading “Winter Preparedness Tips for Texans with Disabilities”
Have you ever seen a news title that got your attention, so you read the article and realize the headline had little to do with the full story? Sometimes news and social media posts may contain partial truths, misleading headlines, or the limited experience of a few people. When it comes to making decisions about… Continue reading “Click bait or the real deal? What’s really true about the COVID-19 vaccine”
USCA Order: Attorney General Paxton’s emergency motion is GRANTED, and the district court’s injunction prohibiting the enforcement of GA-38 in Texas public schools is hereby STAYED pending appeal. (lt) Response from Dustin Rynders, Supervising Attorney at Disability Rights Texas: “We are disappointed by the 5th Circuit’s decision allowing Texas to continue enforcing the ban on… Continue reading “Statement on 5th Circuit Court decision on stay in mask mandate ban lawsuit”