Lex Frieden Employment Awards
The Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities’ Annual Lex Frieden Employment Awards are named in honor of disability rights champion Lex Frieden. Frieden is one of the chief architects of the Americans with Disabilities Act and a recognized leader of the independent living movement. He is a professor of Biomedical Informatics and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and director of the Independent Living Research Utilization program at TIRR Memorial Hermann. As a spokesperson on disability, Frieden advises national organizations and has authored many publications.
The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities has worked to highlight the outstanding efforts of employers to hire and retain employees with disabilities for over thirty years. The Lex Frieden Employment Awards (LFEA) are held each October to coincide with National Disability Employment Awareness Month; by recognizing these best practices in hiring and accommodation, GCPD hopes to help build an inclusive, accessible work environment for all Texans with disabilities. When an employer makes creating a supportive work environment a centerpiece of their philosophy, everyone benefits. Lex Frieden Employment Award winners are employers who see themselves as community partners, and enthusiastically promote and pursue business opportunities for people with disabilities.
The deadline to receive submissions for the 2025 awards is July 15, 2025.
Award categories include:
- Employer Awards (Small, Medium, Large, or Non-Profit Employer): Recognizing Texas employers who have fostered a diverse and accessible workplace.
- Entrepreneurship Award: Honoring a living entrepreneur with a disability who is committed to creating and sustaining a successful business.
- Martha Arbuckle Award: Recognizing an innovative local committee project.
- Governor's Trophy: The highest honor for an individual who has achieved lifetime accomplishments in supporting Texans with disabilities.
There is NO fee for submissions. Self-nominations are encouraged.
Download the Submission Guidelines in Word
Download the Employer Awards Nomination Form in Word
Download the Entrepreneurship Nomination Form in Word
Download the Martha Arbuckle Nomination Form in Word
Download the Governor's Trophy Nomination Form in Word
2024 Texas HireAbility Employer Forum & Lex Frieden Employment Awards
If you missed the event, you can view the recording of the Texas HireAbility Employer Forum & Lex Frieden Employment Awards.
2024 Lex Frieden Award Winners
Governor's Trophy Award
Rebecca Cagle (Denton)
Rebecca Cagle is a mainstay of the Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Program at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Serving as the Senior Project Coordinator for Supported Employment for seven years, her life’s work has been supporting people with disabilities, empowering them to lead more fulfilling lives, equipping them to, not only reach for success in employment, but to reach success on their terms and in the way that best suits them.
This has been her pursuit for more than 30 years. She advocates in securing employment for others. She serves on various committees at the local, state, national, and international levels to bring change to support systems vital to the success of her students. Playing an active role in development and provision of training for rehabilitation providers has made her legendary in this challenging and rewarding field. She is recognized as a leader and at the forefront of comprehensive and integrated service delivery. In terms of accommodations and assistive technology, Rebecca Cagle meets the definition of “best practice” and “cutting-edge”.
Rebecca Cagle embodies the true essence of the Texas spirit by always lending a helping hand and by demanding for her students, her co-workers, and herself what she knows is right.
Martha Arbuckle Award (Co-Winners)
Houston/Harris County DAFN Committee (Houston)
The purpose of the Disability Access and Functional Needs (DAFN) Planning Committee is to bridge the gap between the whole community and emergency management before, during, and after a disaster by advocating for equitable and accessible best practices, programs, and services. An inclusive workshop was conducted for individuals with disabilities, their caregivers, and families to enhance their preparedness for the range of threats and hazards that may impact the area. Whether the disaster is caused by a storm, flood, fire, or other event, readiness is a key component of acquiring, accessing, and utilizing resources which are available to those needing assistance. This project was a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security, the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Houston Health Department- Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Community Service and Response.
Dallas Regional Chamber: Disability Inclusion Toolkit (Dallas)
The Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC) launched its Disability Inclusion Toolkit, a first for a major metropolitan chamber of commerce in Texas. The effort included partnerships with local service providers, corporations, and business leaders. This toolkit promotes competitive and integrated employment of persons with disabilities, while promoting an increased employment pipeline and supporting local and regional organizations. An inclusion conference provided the opportunity to bring together businesses, employers, service providers, and job-seekers for a face-to-face discussion of innovative ways to expand disability inclusion.
Large Employer Award
Toyotsu Texas (San Antonio)
Toyotsu Texas (TTTX) is committed to being a leading employer which is also actively engaged in the community. Toyotsu recognizes the benefits of having an inclusive workforce and places a strong strategic focus on creating local, state, and national partnerships with organizations that work with diverse populations. Anyone who is interested in growing their career with Toyotsu Texas is encouraged to contact them. The company engages in the interactive process to determine accommodations that best support an applicant’s or an employee’s needs to help them be successful in their positions. It is their hope to motivate employers to become engaged and to encourage individuals with disabilities to plan for the future and consider a career in manufacturing, especially with Toyotsu Texas!
Medium Employer Award
Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q (Pharr)
A key component in successful employee hiring for Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q (Rudy’s BBQ) involves effective partnerships with other community agencies. The combined goal is to efficiently interview and place candidates in roles that match their skills and career aspirations. They also support their employees who may need additional assistance with the basics of food, shelter, transportation, healthcare and more. Rudy’s approach to leadership and understanding contribute to the integration of individuals with disabilities into their workplace. The diverse range of positions held by employees with disabilities highlights Rudy’s commitment to inclusivity and the value placed on the unique contributions of each team member. By prioritizing reasonable accommodations, Rudy’s allows all employees to perform their jobs effectively and respectfully. This also teaches everyone the important lesson and the benefits of teamwork and support.
Small Employer Award
Global Data Technologies (San Angelo)
Global Data Technologies’ (GDT) philosophy revolves around the principle of hiring the most qualified individuals based on their skills, qualifications, and ability to contribute effectively to the team. The employer is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated and each employee, including those with disabilities, can thrive and advance in their careers. Hiring is based on meritocracy and fairness. GDT offers tailored accommodations, specialized offices, flexible work schedules and much more with the goal that all employees thrive and contribute to the company’s collective success.
Non-Profit Organization
Morgan’s (San Antonio)
A core value of Morgan’s is to empower; empower individuals with disabilities to do things they may have thought were not possible. This may include anything from riding a wheelchair accessible Ferris Wheel to working at an organization that lives and breathes a philosophy of inclusion and accessibility. The organization’s leadership actively seeks to hire individuals with disabilities at all levels of employment and provides disability inclusion training to all employees. The philosophy at Morgan’s is to assess what people can do, and not focus on any perceived limits. They look at an individual’s interests, skills, and abilities then find the right fit, the right job, the right team for that employee.
The Entrepreneurship Award
Tiffani Martin
Tiffani Martin is the CEO of Jancynco, a leading company in digital strategic planning. As a 100% woman-owned, minority-owned, and disability-owned enterprise, Jancynco brings over 50 years of collective experience in blending digital strategy with artificial intelligence. Their diverse team is their greatest asset, providing unique perspectives and expertise. This diversity, combined with a deep understanding of AI, enables the business to deliver innovative, data-driven digital strategies. They excel in integrating human creativity with AI analytics to create solutions that are not just efficient, but also visionary. Jancynco is a certified Disability:In disability-owned business enterprise working toward supporting and serving all customers including people with disabilities.
Read about previous Lex Frieden Employment Awards Winners
How to Submit a Nomination
Download Guidelines
Download the Submission Guidelines in Word format
Category Descriptions and Entry Forms
The Martha Arbuckle Award recognizes the most innovative local committee project, and is presented in memory of Austin's long-time disability advocate Martha Arbuckle.
Employer Awards are given in four categories - Small Employer (25 or fewer employees), Medium Employer (26 to 500 employees), Large Employer (more than 500 employees), and Non-Profit Employer. Each category serves to recognize employers in Texas who have fostered a diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace and who have developed innovative ways to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace.
To be nominated or apply:
- your business must include individuals with disabilities in an integrated workplace, and
- people with disabilities must make up at least ten percent of your Texas-based workforce.
This ten percent must be employees with disabilities who:
- work full or part time (at least 15 hours per week),
- in competitive, integrated employment,
- at or above minimum wage,
- are paid the same wage as employees without a disability, and
- where the employee with a disability works alongside employees without disabilities and interacts with other people without disabilities, like vendors and customers, just as much as employees without disabilities in similar roles interact with them.
The Entrepreneurship Award is awarded to a living entrepreneur with a disability who has shown extraordinary ingenuity and drive to create and sustain a successful business that has created jobs and accessible services.
The Governor's Trophy is the Governor's Committee's highest honor and is awarded to the person who has achieved the highest success in enhancing the empowerment and employment of Texans with disabilities. The Governor's Trophy recognizes long-term commitment and outstanding efforts at both the community and state level.
Nominations, including self-nominations, in any of these categories are encouraged. A completed submission form specific to the category, along with any supporting material, can be mailed to:
Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities
P.O. Box 12428
Austin TX 78711
or send the submission by email to:
GCPD@gov.texas.gov
Please submit the appropriate Entry Form for your nomination. The deadline for 2023 nominations is August 24, 2023.
Above and Beyond: Employment Practices
Suggestions for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for ALL people to help make your business or service stand out.
Download Above and Beyond: Employment Practices in PDF format
What Can YOU Do to Advance the Employment of People with Disabilities?
In support of the What Can YOU Do? outreach effort, the Campaign for Disability Employment is pleased to present the following video tools. Help us spread the word about the value and talent that people with disabilities bring to the workplace by sharing these videos and playing the Campaign for Disability Employment: