Project Description:
______FY 2026 ______
TPIA (formerly the Disability Vaccination Accessibility Network, or DVAN) was established when TCDD, Disability Rights Texas, the Center on Disability and Development, the Texas Center for Disability Studies, and other partners in the disability community came together for the purpose of helping Texans with disabilities receive the COVID-19 vaccination. TPIA partners worked to facilitate problem solving, improve availability of resources, and foster coordination among State agencies, nongovernmental partners, and disability stakeholders to afford opportunities to receive vaccines, COVID-19 testing and information in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Public Health Emergency specific to COVID-19 ended, TPIA's focus on affording meaningful engagement in society for people with disabilities remained. The group continues to meet monthly to discuss emerging issues and share information on their work to address healthcare. TPIA's platform allows topics and initiatives to be brought forward, provide a supporting mechanism to develop, coordinate and deliver information, provide technical assistance, and identify avenues for advocacy and direct services to the disability community.
TPIA's 14 collaborating agencies include Disability Rights Texas, Every Child Texas, Texas Department of Health and Human Services, Easter Seals Houston, UT Health Science Center's Texas Medical Center Houston, Texas Parent to Parent, FEMA, Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, the Texas Center for Disability Studies at University of Texas, the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, Texas State Independent Living Council, Texas Autism Society, the City of Corpus Christi, and the Center on Disability and Development.
TPIA continues to focus on four pillars of advocacy:
Broadband/digital divide
Public Health Workforce
Disaster Preparedness/Response
Justice
TPIA meets monthly, with more frequent meetings in response to local, regional, or statewide needs. This year, the partners met weekly in response to flooding in the Hill Country. These meetings also addressed disability-related bills during the Texas Legislature's special sessions.
Meeting included:
July 21, 2025: Disaster response. Updates on FEMA and local services, access to durable medical equipment, power outages, and updates on organizations serving individuals with disabilities
August 11, 2025: Disaster response. Updates on recovery, FEMA deadlines and application assistance, assistive technology resources, and bills related to disability and disaster preparedness/response in the legislature's special session.
August 18, 2025: Disaster response: strategies to ensure access to resources with DRCs shutting down while survivors still lack transportation and cell service, FEMA update, policy recommendations for CILS in disaster recovery declarations (working beyond their usual service areas)
August 25, 2025: Legislative updates and presentations on accessible technologies for emergency alerts and warnings by Infinite Access and HQE Systems
September 8, 2025: Texas flood overview, review of four bills related to youth camp emergency plans, disaster related fraud and theft, outdoor warning sirens, and supplemental disaster relief appropriations.
October 20, 2025
November 17, 2025
December 15, 2025
January 19, 2026 (? MLK)
February 16, 2026
March 16, 2026
April 20, 2026
May 18, 2026
June 15, 2026
______FY 2025______
In FY 2025, TPIA held collaborative meetings on the following topics:
9/16/24 Disaster Preparedness Month and related resources, Disability Rights Texas Policy Initiatives (Stephanie Duke, DRTx)
11/18/24 End of Year Review (Stephanie Duke, DRTx)
1/27/25 Providing accurate information and responding to misinformation and disinformation (Stephanie Duke, DRTx)
3/17/25 Partner updates (all)
4/21/25 The DR Survey and 89(r) (Sean Jackson, DRTx)
6/16/25 Partner updates (all)
Members of the Steering Committee are:
Communications and outreach
Beth Stalvey, TCDD Acting Chair
Edie Surtees, DRTx
Kerri Carr, DRTx
Stacey Kaleh, TCDD
Data and reporting
Sandy Magana, UT Acting Chair
Weiwen Zeng, UT
Robin Miller, Texas A&M
Dan Zhang, Texas A&M
Intake and referral
Sean Jackson, DRTx Acting Chair
Edwin Marino, DRTx
Kerri Carr, DRTx
Stephanie Duke, DRTx
Steering Committee (TBD)
Sean Jackson, DRTx
Beth Stalvey, TCDD
Sandy Magna, UT
Ron Lucey, Governors Commission on PWDs
Richard Flores ADRC
Sandra Brietengross Bitter, Texas CILs
Dave Gruber DSHS
The following have submitted letters of commitment:
Texas Governors Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD)
House the Homeless, Inc.
CBCIL
Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Capital Area
LRGVDC Rio-Net ADRC
Project Amistad - Rio Grande ADRC
Dallas ADRC
FEMA
Texas State Independent Living Council
National Federation of the Blind of Texas
Texas Technology Access Program (State AT program)
Providers Alliance for Community Services of Texas (PACSTX)
Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living
The Arc of Texas
Texas Center for Disability Studies
Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University
