Accessibility and Disability Policy Webinars
The Accessibility and Disability Policy Webinars are free and real-time captioning is provided for all sessions. Webinar sessions are coordinated and hosted by the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities on a monthly basis. Webinars cover a variety of topics regarding people with disabilities in ten issue areas, access, communication, criminal justice, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, transportation, and veterans. Topics of interest can benefit employers, governmental entities, service providers, and individuals with disabilities.
This page has upcoming and recent webinars. Find past webinars, organized by topic, on the Webinar Archive page.
Upcoming Webinars
ASL Interpreters and Captioning are provided for our webinars. To request other accommodations, please contact gcpd@gov.texas.gov.
Sign up for our Training Announcements Email List to be notified via email about our upcoming webinars.
Recent Webinars
(Recordings are accessed by clicking on Webinar titles)
Farming with a Disability? AgrAbility Can Help!
Presented on November 4, 2025
Agriculture plays a significant role in the Texas economy. Approximately 14% of working Texans are employed at farms, ranches, and other agriculture related workspaces.
Much of this work is physical work and includes the use of heavy machinery. With some disabilities, the work can become challenging without help. This is where AgrAbility provides an important service to Texans with disabilities. AgrAbility is a Texas A&M program funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide services to farmers and ranchers with disabilities, functional limitations, and chronic health conditions.
Cindy Kovar, the Program Manager of AgrAbility, will share how AgrAbility can help Texans with disabilities succeed in this industry.
Disability and Business: A New Perspective on Entrepreneurship
Presented on October 21, 2025
Every October, we celebrate Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Day. The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities is hosting a webinar aimed at entrepreneurs looking to learn how to overcome barriers and make use of programs designed to help their businesses thrive. The most common barrier identified is the need for information and guidance.
For this event, you will hear from representatives of the Texas Workforce Commission’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program and the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office. They will share how current and aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities can effectively access information and guidance to grow their business acumen.
Disability & Business Transcript
Disability & Disasters: Proactive and Inclusive Emergency Preparedness
Presented on September 18, 2025
September marks National Preparedness Month, an annual campaign designed to remind everyone about the importance of preparing for emergencies and disasters to ensure the safety of themselves and their families. GCPD will participate by hosting a webinar aimed at supporting Texans with disabilities in their preparation efforts.
This year’s presenter is Dr. Lisa Treleaven, a GCPD committee member who is a licensed counselor and a consultant in education, mental health, and human services. She is passionate about emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Treleaven has also served as a former disaster housing manager and is currently a Community Emergency Response team member. We are excited to hear her insights on this important topic.
Disability & Disasters Transcript
Adult Protective Services for Texans with Disabilities
Presented on August 19, 2025
Adult Protective Services (APS) is a division under the Texas Department of Family Protective Services tasked with the responsibility of protecting Older Texans and Texans with Disabilities. After receiving many requests from the public for more information on what Adult Protective Services does, GCPD has invited Adult Protective Services to share with us about their services and how they support Texans with Disabilities.
Every Texan has the right to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Despite our best efforts, sometimes a bad situation will happen to us when we are vulnerable. While in that moment, a person might wonder when it is the right time to contact APS about getting help for their friend, family member, community member, or themselves. Our presenter, Amanda Schuler, will explain what APS can do, what steps to expect after reporting, and other resources for situations that are not covered by APS.
Presenter: Amanda Schuler, Director of Policy and Performance at Adult Protective Services.
Adult Protective Services for Texans with Disabilities Slides
Keeping Up with Accommodations for the Workplace
Presented on July 1, 2025 and Recorded on July 3, 2025
Title I of the ADA requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. These employers are required to do this mostly by providing reasonable accommodations when requested.
The accommodations process can be challenging because there is a wide range of disabilities and potential accommodations while employers are given a lot of discretion with their business operations. When considering recent evolutions in employment, such as gig work and telework, people are now learning new ways to include accommodations. With the addition of new technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), we will continue to see many more changes in how people use accommodations in the new work environment.
Join the ADA celebration and learn more about reasonable accommodations at work! In this webinar, GCPD will provide information on the accommodation process, including addressing what has changed, and share how to stay up to date with accommodations.
Keeping up with Accommodations for the Workplace Slides
Keeping up with Accommodations for the Workplace Transcript
Digital Accessibility for Texas and Texans
Presented on May 28, 2025
In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 15), GCPD has invited Marie Cohan, the Statewide Digital Accessibility Officer at the Department of Information Resources, to present about how government agencies and higher education institutions in Texas make their websites accessible for Texans. This webinar will include information about digital accessibility policy in Texas government, best practices for application and web development, and how the state technology office (DIR) supports state agencies and universities to ensure interactions with state technology are accessible.
Digital Accessibility for Texas and Texans Slides
Digital Accessibility for Texas and Texans Transcript
How to Make a GCPD Policy Recommendation
Recorded on April 4, 2025
Making policy recommendations through the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities is one way to make a difference for people with disabilities. Watch to learn how the process works.
Presented by Rebecca Lopez, GCPD Research Specialist
Make a GCPD Policy Recommendation Slides
Find the Key to Independence through Adaptive Driving
Presented on January 9, 2025
The ability to manage your own transportation is one of the major milestones for living independently. For many Texans who have a disability, this milestone can seem impossible because vehicles are not designed with people with disabilities in mind. The standard design of vehicles relies on mechanisms that cannot be used without modifications.
GCPD has invited Texas adaptive driving schools and state agencies to share information about adaptive driving solutions such as vehicle modifications, adaptive driving aids, and training that could make driving possible. Topics will include adaptive driving strategies for potential drivers with low vision, who are Deaf, who have mobility challenges, who are neurodivergent, or who have other disabilities.
Learn more about how these organizations can help you decide if driving is right for you, offer resources, and answer your questions.
Presenters include representatives from Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Workforce Commission, Community Independence Solutions, and St. David’s Adaptive Driving.
Adaptive Driving Webinar Slides
Adaptive Driving Weinbar Transcript
Find past webinars, organized by topic, on the Webinar Archive page.