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 16 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.
November 17, 2025: Disaster-Follow up from J4/investigations/Legislative updates state/federal, CJW updates, and partner updates
March 16, 2026: Partner updates
April 20, 2026: Access to Broadband/digital divide, Texas BDO state plans/updates, FCC partner updates, public health workforce, partner updates, disaster preparedness and response, FEMA updates, J4 investigation, DRTx report and annual survey, and CJW updates
May 18, 2026: Updates on the Texas Broadband Development Office's (BDO) roundtable meetings; FCC's draft report and specific recommendation to modernize Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS); updates on the public health workforce; partner update; disaster preparedness/response; FEMA reform/council updates and report; July 4th flooding investigations/lawsuits, public hearings, and report to be released by June 1; state agency updates from AgriLife, TDEM, DSHS; access to justice; and Community Justice Workers (CJW) updates
June 15, 2026: Updates from the Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) and BDO subgrantees; public health workforce updates; partner updates,
disaster preparedness/response updates, including screwworm, severe weather, and public health advisories; House Committee on The July 2025 Flooding Events investigation and upcoming report; policy recommendation for statutorily created Disability/Disaster Council at GCPD meeting in July; updates on long term recovery CDBG-DR in Houston/Harris County; federal updates; justice access; DRTX outreach; and Community Justice Workers (CJW) updates
Cooperating Agencies and Organizations Include:
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx)
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD)
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
