|  | | August 26 2024 The CTD staff continues to shift in 2024, as we bid goodbye to one incredible policy fellow, and welcome onboard two others! And while the make-up of our staff is changing, some things remain the same: our Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival is coming up this September! Read on for details. | | | |
| Thank you, Jennifer Toon!  In the spring of 2020, CTD launched a mental health peer policy fellowship—not our first, but one of our most successful. It was this fellowship that drew Jennifer Toon to our advocacy team and CTD family.
In the following four years, Jen’s incredible passion, expertise, experience, and leadership brought CTD into the criminal justice space and influenced a number of important policy reforms to support justice-involved Texans with disabilities and their families. As Jen consistently showed our staff, board, and membership, it is well documented that people with disabilities are over represented in the criminal justice system, as well as more likely to be victimized while in the system and receive less access to supportive services.
In her first legislative session with CTD in 2021 (during the pandemic, no less), her work revolved around ensuring that kids and adults with mental health concerns and / or ID / DD had the support they needed in both county and state facilities. She was a leading advocate for HB 30 (Talarico), which mandates that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) provide a high school education to all minors who have been charged as adults in their custody. This includes making sure those who qualify for special education receive everything afforded to them under IDEA. The following spring, the first student to benefit from this bill earned his diploma. The next session (2023), Jen led efforts with a determined group of criminal justice advocates and self-advocates to support SB 1146 (West), a bill that addressed the dehumanizing—and completely inaccessible—conditions of medical transport for women in TDCJ, known as medical chain. By December of that year, we had already received reports from incarcerated women that conditions were improving as they made the journey across Texas from their units to receive medical care. These are just a few of the many pieces of legislation Jen championed and helped to pass. During her years with CTD, she also led efforts to elevate the issues of heat in Texas prisons, second chance legislation, family liaisons in county jails, medical parole, youth justice, and post secondary educational opportunities for women with disabilities under TDCJ. She worked closely with advocacy staff on a number of other issues, including student safety and disrupting the school to prison pipeline. |
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| Jen believes that narrative lies at the heart of effective advocacy and aspires to use her lived experience to bring attention to the often-forgotten voices of other system-impacted women, youth, and people with disabilities. She put those priorities into practice everyday during her fellowship with CTD, and we know she’ll continue to pursue them tirelessly as the Community Advocacy Manager at the Texas After Violence Project. We miss Jen (and her cat, Taylor) so much, but we're looking forward to continue working with her as a partner, and we're so excited about all she's doing at TAVP! |
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| | Welcome to the team, Yulissa and Cole! We are excited to bring two Policy Fellows to the CTD advocacy team! |
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|  | From Galveston, Texas, Yulissa Chávez is the eldest daughter of a Mexican family of five. She is a first-generation American and a first-generation student. She grew up learning Spanish as a first language and is a proud Norteña from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Yulissa's policy interests are in democracy, healthcare, education, and immigration. She specializes in education policy, specifically how Texas public schools are funded and how education affects a person's quality of life, from health to incarceration and wealth. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas at Austin and her Masters of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. During her tenure, Yulissa became a Friar, was one of the Barbara Jordan National Forum Student Co-Chairs, and was the Communication and Marketing Director for the LBJ School's first-ever Latino Policy Research Symposium. Yulissa has worked across the political spectrum as a political cartoonist, researcher, activist, and public school teacher in Austin ISD. As a public school teacher and grassroots organizer, Yulissa has led workshops, produced content to empower and inform the public of legislative issues, mentored and guided first-generation students, and researched a variety of policy issues. In her spare time, Yulissa enjoys playing with her cats, painting, creating faux cakes, and watching films. |
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 | Cole is focused upon research, policy analysis, and recommendations to the Texas Legislature regarding the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and youth with disabilities and their families in navigating the mental health care system.
An Austin native and proud Longhorn, Cole received his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and minored in Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining CTD, he worked for the state assistive technology program, helping Texans with disabilities to research funding sources and 3D printing low tech assistive technology.
Outside of his work at CTD, he enjoys getting to spend time with his family and girlfriend, supporting UT athletics, and walking the different nature trails in Austin. Committees on which Cole serves include the Texas Parks and Wildlife Accessibility Advisory Committee. Fun fact we couldn't keep to ourselves: Cole's girlfriend Emily is in Paris right now to cover the 2024 Paralympic Games! All of her coverage will be posted to Cripple Media's website, alongside some stories written by Paralympic athletes. Follow @cripple.media on Instagram for live video coverage (reels and Instagram lives). |
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| | Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival |
| In 2024, raise a glass to Cinema Touching Disability as we celebrate our 21st year! Join us for two nights of live entertainment, featured guests, community, and great disability cinema! The 2024 Festival takes place Friday and Saturday, September 27 & 28, at the Rollins Theater at the Long Center in Austin, Texas. This year's line up is live and tickets on sale now! Tickets will be priced on a sliding scale starting at $5. If cost is a barrier, comped tickets will be available. |
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| | | Capitol Care CDS Did you know? CTD operates Capitol Care CDS, a program that allows Medicaid STAR+PLUS and STAR Kids recipients to hire and manage the people who will provide their attendant services. If you, a loved one, or a friend have attendant care needs, Capitol Care CDS may be the answer! |
| | | | Key Dates for the 2024 November Election Tuesday, September 10 - Party to Power The Disability Vote with REV UP Texas. Attend online or join a local party with a REV UP partner. Learn more! Monday, October 7 - Last Day to Register to Vote (In Person or Ballot By Mail) Monday, October 21 - First Day of Early Voting Friday, October 25 - Last Day to Apply for a Ballot By Mail Friday, November 1 - Last Day of Early Voting Tuesday, November 5 - Last Day to Submit Ballot By Mail must be received/ postmarked by 7pm Tuesday, November 5 - Election Day |
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| | Thank you to our major 2024
Cinema Touching Disability Sponsors! |
|  |  | |  | |  | | | JWH Communications Lynda Frost & Dennis Borel Chase & Bethany Bearden Hart Intercivic Pfizer AstraZeneca Sanofi |
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| | Contact Us info@txdisabilities.org | 512-478-3366 |
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