December 2023

Click here to see the orignal campaign.

From the Council's Chief Strategy Officer

Dear readers,

This month's edition will be short and sweet. The holiday season is in full swing, and many of us are spending time with family and friends, making memories to carry us into the new year. 

We know this can also be a hard time of year for those grieving a loss or struggling to find your path. Please know you are not alone.

• TN Disability Pathfinder can help you find disability-related supports or services in your area. 
• LifeCourse Tools can help you think about changes you want and resources you can access for a good life. (Tip: These tools can help with hard conversations when others in your life don't share your vision for the future.) 
• Our staff are here to help with persistent barriers to services. We understand that solutions are not always easy. 
• If you need immediate help, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 

There is hope in community as we share our human struggles and glimmers of joy. 

Happy holidays, friends. We'll see you in 2024!

Jolene Sharp
Chief Strategy Officer

Disability Policy Corner (Dec. 2023)

 Special news collection 

Articles about the TN legislative workgroup considering rejecting federal education funding that met last month. This would have a significant impact on students with disabilities in TN.

• The workgroup hearings have concluded, but recordings of the sessions are available online: Tennessee General Assembly (tn.gov)
• WSMV4: Rejecting billions of dollars of federal education funding looms over local advocacy groups
• The state legislature is set to reconvene in January. We will keep you updated on any proposed action on education funding. 

TN news and events

• *Council priority topic* - Vanderbilt TRIAD's behavior team is seeking caregiver input on key school behavior-related topics. They will use this information to design new resources to share with caregivers. Take the brief survey: Caregiver Feedback (vanderbilt.edu)
• Every year, Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) seeks input from the Tennessee disability community and its allies about services they provide. Share your input about their areas of work.

Federal news and events

• Current list of federal legislation of interest (updated monthly)
• The Arc U.S.: The 2023 Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) study spotlights how the pandemic and caregiving crisis have further strained families supporting loved ones with disabilities.
• Accenture: Companies that Lead in Disability Inclusion Outperform Peers Financially, Reveals New Research from Accenture
• U.S. Dept. of Labor: DOL announces selection of 12 states (including Tennessee), District of Columbia to join initiative expanding opportunities for people with disabilities
• Kaiser Family Foundation: Waiting for Care: Three-Fourths of States Have Waiting Lists for Some Medicaid Home Care Programs (kff.org)
• U.S. Depts. of Health and Human Services and Education: Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (PDF) (hhs.gov)