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.
Find past webinars, organized by topic, on the Webinar Archive page.
Upcoming Webinars
Sign up for our Training Announcements Email List to be notified via email about all our upcoming webinars.
ASL Interpreters and Captioning are provided for our webinars. To request other accommodations, please contact gcpd@gov.texas.gov.
Recent Webinars
(Recordings are accessed by clicking on Webinar titles)
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
Create Your Own Business as an Entrepreneur with a Disability
Presented on October 17, 2024
Through multi-agency efforts, Texas will celebrate Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Day with a webinar that shares information about resources and programs available to entrepreneurs with disabilities.
It is a combination of good ideas and available resources that make the business magic happen. People with disabilities have unique perspectives that lead to innovative businesses but may not know all the resources that are available to them. If you are a person with a disability who has a good idea for a new enterprise or need help with maintaining your current business, this webinar is for you!
Presenters will include representatives from Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Economic Development & Tourism, and Business Enterprises of Texas.
Create Your Own Business Slides
Save for Today and Plan for Tomorrow with a Texas ABLE Account
Presented on July 31, 2024
Having a disability can be expensive. Many disability-related expenses are critical to maintaining the individual’s life, independence, and quality of life. The Texas Achieving a Better Life Experience (Texas ABLE®) Program was established to assist individuals with disabilities and their families build up savings to pay for qualified disability expenses which include education, housing, and transportation.
There are many benefits to having an ABLE Account:
- People with disabilities who rely on Social Supplemental Income (SSI) can only have savings up to a limit of $2,000 a month. Having an ABLE account allows people to save more.
- People with disabilities can use their ABLE account as an investment that will allow their savings to grow even faster.
- Anyone can contribute to an ABLE account, including family and friends.
GCPD has invited guests from the Educational Opportunities and Investment Division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to join us for a webinar on Texas ABLE accounts. They’ll cover all the basics of ABLE accounts and give you details on how to open an account in Texas.
Presenters:
Linda Fernandez, Director, Educational Opportunities and Investment Division, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Anna Mallett, Outreach Specialist, Texas ABLE Program, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Vanessa Goodson, Outreach Specialist, Texas ABLE Program, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
A Conversation with Lex Frieden at the Bush Library and Museum
Presented on July 26th, 2024
The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) celebrates the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a thoughtful commemoration of the July 26, 1990 signing ceremony of the ADA.
Livestreamed from the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.
Presenters:
Lex Frieden, Disability Policy Expert and Disability Rights Activist who was involved with the ADA's development
Robert Holzweiss, Deputy Director of the George Bush Library and Museum
A Conversation with Lex Frieden Transcript
Understanding FEMA’s Accessibility Changes
Presented on July 9th, 2024
FEMA recently released an announcement explaining changes for better integration of disaster relief resources for people with disabilities. This includes major updates to disaster assistance. These updates give new ways for providing disaster support by increasing accessibility and eligibility for affected people, families, and communities. With these changes, FEMA is:
- expanding individual assistance coverage for disability-related needs.
- making programs and services accessible.
The Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities has invited FEMA to share the details of these updates and answer questions from people with disabilities and their families about FEMA accessibility. Knowing this information in advance makes a big difference in processing your FEMA claim during a disaster. These disasters are life-changing, so make sure you are prepared! Watch today to learn about how FEMA is providing more coverage and improving their accessibility.
Presenters:
Julie Reese, FEMA Region 6 Portfolio Disability Integration Specialist (Texas)
Yasmine Austria, FEMA Civil Rights Advisor
Understanding FEMA's Accessibility Changes Slides
Understanding FEMA's Accessibility Changes Transcript
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD): Explore!
Presented on June 4th, 2024
Join us for a webinar, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD): EXPLORE!, presented by the TPWD Accessibility Manager and the State Parks Chief of Programs. Discover the latest updates and initiatives across Texas public lands, focusing on accessibility and inclusivity. From camping in a state park to touring a fish hatchery to renewing your hunting license at a law enforcement office, TPWD is committed to outdoor access for all Texans and is making strides every day to increase accessibility to facilities, programs, and services.
Learn about the different programs offered by the agency including boating education, learn-to-hunt programs, camping, and online education opportunities you can enjoy from home. TPWD staff will share resources for visitors with disabilities and demonstrate how to navigate the TPWD website to find the information you need to visit.
During this Zoom session, we'll highlight accessible facilities and outdoor spaces and discuss the role that accessibility plays in new parks and projects. Get information on adaptive equipment and all-terrain wheelchairs, making modification requests, and employment and volunteer opportunities that allow you to make a difference in our parks and beyond.
Make sure that you have everything you need to make an informed decision about visiting a TWPD facility and participating in a program.
Presenters:
Jessica Burke, TPWD Accessibility Manager
Todd McClanahan, State Parks Chief of Programs
Texas Parks and Wildlife: Explore! Slides
Texas Parks and Wildlife: Explore! Transcript
Law Enforcement Interaction Programs
Presented on March 28, 2024
For our first ever Criminal Justice webinar, we have invited James Sobota from the Houston Police Department. Houston’s premier law enforcement agency has a Community Service Division which has implemented an innovative program called the Positive Interaction Program (PIP). Citizens who attend these PIP events hear presentations on major law enforcement topics, meet their local officers, and get access to crucial information about crime in their city and neighborhoods. Within this program, there are 30 different PIP groups including one for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Officer Sobota will share more information about his work with the Positive Interaction Program, the impact of police interaction events on different communities including people with disabilities, and how you can work with your local police department to develop a similar program.
Presenter:
James Sobota, Senior Police Officer, Houston Police Department. Officer Sobota is a native Houstonian with 38 years of working for the Houston Police Department. His current duties include acting as the HPD Citywide PIP Coordinator and the HPD Deaf & Hard of Hearing Coordinator.
Law Enforcement Interaction Programs Transcript
Leveraging Personal Networks into Success
Presented on January 30, 2024
It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. A personal network is a type of ‘village’ where people get together to pool knowledge and resources for a common goal. Although parent involvement is an early predictor of their child’s academic and vocational success, the networks that families form also play a large role in the successful development and stability of a child into their adult years. Established networks are built to give the lifetime benefit of a supportive community beyond the traditional family model. Through the influence of parents and their combined networks, a child can learn how to build and develop their own network well into adulthood.
The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities is excited to have Texas Parent to Parent share how families can work together to create personal networks for family members with disabilities. Some might wonder:
- What does a personal network look like?
- How do personal networks benefit families?
- When and how to get started?
Get the answers to these questions by joining us. You’ll also hear stories from real Texans of how personal networks helped their family live with disability in the moment and plan for the future.
Presenter:
Jennifer Vincent, Lead Facilitator of the Texas Networks Connection Program at Texas Parent to Parent. Mrs. Vincent is the mother of three adult children. She is a licensed vocational nurse and has experience working with adults and children with disabilities in her personal nursing career. She has a successfully maintained personal network for her youngest daughter and is extremely passionate about facilitating networks for individuals with disabilities that need a sustainable natural support system in their community that will last the duration of their lifetime.