October 2022
View the original email campaign with photos.
From the Council's Chief Public Information Officer
Dear readers,
October is a big month in the disability community. If you’re part of the Down syndrome community, as my family is, you know that October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. We’ll be celebrating this Saturday at our local Extra Mile walk.
October is also National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It’s a mouthful – but it’s also an important time. October is a chance for us to talk about the unique strengths each of us bring to the workplace – including people with disabilities.
The Council has joined disability organizations in our state in the #HireMyStrengths social media campaign. You can see those posts on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Want to join in? Just follow the steps listed on the Hire My Strengths web page! We’d love to see the strengths YOU bring to the workplace.
Tennessee has been an Employment First state since 2013. That means our state services work to support people with disabilities in meaningful employment. The result is that more people with disabilities are doing real work for real pay. The Council is proud to play a role.
We helped set a statewide goal several years ago: to shrink by 5% the gap between employment rates for people with and without disabilities. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, our state has now reached that goal – TWO YEARS EARLY!
We know there is a lot more work to do to make sure every person in Tennessee can live their career dreams. This month is a great time to recommit to that work. If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us any time at TNDDC@tn.gov.
Happy fall!
Jolene Sharp
Chief Public Information Officer
New Council Executive Committee Members: Sarah Cripps and Edward Mitchell
Two of our Governor-appointed Council members are taking on new leadership roles. They each now chair one of our Council committees. That also means they serve on the Council Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is a group that often makes decisions about Council funding and priorities.
Sarah Cripps (Smithville; Upper Cumberland development district; pictured at left below) became the chair of our public policy committee.
Edward Mitchell (Jackson; Southwest development district; pictured at right below) became the chair of our communications committee.
We asked Sarah and Edward to share about their roles and why they are passionate about this work.
Tell us about your role as the chair of your committee.
Sarah: As the Chair of the public policy committee, I am tasked with leading each quarterly meeting of the committee. I help facilitate discussion during each meeting about ideas for public policy proposals and projects of Council members.
Edward: The communications committee is an essential component of the DD Council's external communications. It works to raise the organization's visibility in the public eye. It is the duty of the committee chair to:
- preside over committee sessions,
- record the conclusions of the committee, and
- present those findings to the whole council.
It is absolutely necessary for whoever is going to be serving in the position of the chair to have a strong speaking voice and solid presentation skills.
Why is this role important to you?
Sarah: My role as Chair of the public policy committee is important to me because we have seen the power of individuals to influence public policy. That happens through both the passage of legislation and various Council members’ working in tandem with state agencies to improve the lives of Tennesseans with disabilities and their families. It is important to me that persons with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities live as independently as possible.
Edward: As a person who has lived experience as a person with a disability, one of the most concrete ways that I can contribute to the accomplishment of the purpose of the DD Council is to serve as the chairperson of a committee.
Your role as a committee chair also means you serve on the Council’s executive committee. What are your responsibilities as an executive committee member?
Sarah: As a member of the Council's executive committee, my top priorities are to attend the monthly meetings, to become more involved in the Council’s long-range planning, and to increase my knowledge about the inner workings of the Council, its ongoing programs, and daily operation.
Edward: As a member of the executive committee, it is my responsibility to help with the Council's work in the most effective manner possible. In the time between meetings of the DD Council, as well as in times of emergency or other time-sensitive situations, the executive committee acts as a decision-making group.
What do you hope your impact will be in this new role on the Council?
Sarah: I am humbled to have been selected to serve as a member of the executive committee. I bring both my own personal experience as someone with a disability as well as my legal knowledge with me to my position. I am eager to support Council staff in their tireless efforts to improve the daily lives of Tennesseans with disabilities and their family members.
Edward: It is the greatest privilege of my life to be able to serve as a representative for people with disabilities. As a member of the Council, you can count on me to serve with enthusiasm, care, attention, and honesty. I want to make sure that the voices of those who have lived experiences of disability are heard in every facet of our community improvement efforts. I want to contribute any and all ideas from those who have lived experiences.
Get to Know a Leader: Muriel Nolen, Executive Director, TN Human Rights Commission
We like to introduce our readers to different leaders of agencies and programs that impact Tennesseans with disabilities. Meet Muriel Nolen, the new executive director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission.
The Commission educates Tennesseans about their human rights and helps enforce laws related to protecting people from different kinds of discrimination. Read a brief explanation of their work and their role in the state here.
Tell us a bit about your career background and your current role.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer. Since I can remember, my family and friends have told me that I should become a lawyer when I grow up. Maybe it was because I would debate and argue for sport about all sorts of topics. I found it interesting and challenging to weigh in on and explain opposing viewpoints. I have 20 years of trial experience, largely in criminal prosecution and law enforcement but also some family law.
My current position as Executive Director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission enables me to use a collection of abilities I've acquired over the course of my different positions in state government, which began with the Hamilton County District Attorney General's Office in 1997.
What is one thing you’re working on right now at the Commission that you are excited about?
Our agency has overcome the challenges of the pandemic and a most recent transition of leadership to become more productive and efficient than before. We have a strong, competent, and dedicated team that is committed to serving our citizens and achieving the mission of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, which is to safeguard individuals from discrimination through education and enforcement.
We've made significant progress over the past six months, including going "paperless." But I'm most excited with our preparation to expand our education and outreach projects and create a new unit that provides anti-discrimination training needs for other state agencies and businesses.
What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned from working on issues related to disability discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations?
Discrimination based on a person's disability is still a serious problem in our communities and across the state. In fact, 48% of the Commission’s housing complaints in 2022 were based on a person's disability. This number was twice as high as the 21% of housing complaints that were related to race.
I often remind my team that you never know what the person on the other end of the phone line or seated across from you at a table is going through. We must be careful not to deepen any harm that’s already been caused by other people or entities that brought them to us in the first place.
What are some activities you enjoy doing in your free time?
Free time? What’s free time? Kidding. I'm attempting to strike a balance between my new position as Executive Director of a state agency and the rest of my life because, strangely, my job doesn't feel like work because I enjoy it.
My husband and I are recent empty nesters and we’ve come to the realization that we need to “get a life." However, I truly enjoy cooking and listening to music whenever I get the time. Nigerian-style oxtails, jerk lambchops, and lasagna are a few of my specialties. And interestingly enough, I used to moonlight as a D.J. when I had actual free time. And no, I will not reveal my stage name.
When should members of the disability community reach out to you or your team directly?
When members of the disability community feel we can help, inform, or educate them—or, of course, investigate complaints and other potential instances of discrimination—they should get in touch with our office. We are aware that local, state, and federal laws can be convoluted and intimidating. It's our responsibility to eliminate guesswork. It's never harmful to call and ask questions. That is the reason we are here.
Visit one of our four locations across the state, in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, or Nashville. Our website, https://www.tn.gov/humanrights, lists the addresses as well as other important information. Call 800-251-3589 or 615-741-5825 to speak with us or send an email to ASK.THRC@tn.gov. We will respond to all public communications unless you are contacting us to advise us about the extended warranty on our car.
11/1 - New MAPs program for Tennesseans with disabilities starts accepting applications
Enrollment for the new MAPs (Medicaid Alternative Pathways to Independence) program begins on November 1, 2022!
The first phase of the program will focus on serving people who live in Middle TN.
MAPs is a program for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to be more independent at home, at work, and in their community. MAPs is a different approach to supports for independence and work skills. It uses technology as a foundation. The program is offered through the TN Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD).
If you do not live in a Middle TN county, you can still complete the application on November 1. DIDD will keep your application and reach out to you once the program begins offering services in your region.
Learn more about the program by watching this short video or visiting DIDD's MAPs webpage.
Learn about: Employment and Community First CHOICES
Have you heard that TN recently expanded funding for the Employment and Community First CHOICES program? Through new federal and state funding, the program now serves more than 5,400 Tennesseans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This program, often called "ECF CHOICES," is the main way that Tennessee provides long-term services and supports to people of all ages who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. ECF can help you or your family:
- Explore jobs that you might like
- Connect to social and community activities
- Get personal assistance or respite care to give caregivers a break
- Help with transportation
- Access many other kinds of supports and services
Watch our video of a young man named Bryshawn who gets ECF CHOICES services talk about how the program helps him live a good life.
Want to learn more or apply for help? Now’s a great time! Click here to get started.