As you may have noticed, it snowed a bit this week, grinding the workings of state government, as well as the functioning of our state’s road, to a hard stop. Despite the weather, the second year of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly has begun!
Tennessee Disability Coalition, as well as the families of over 125,000 children with disabilities across the state, are extremely disappointed to see that the Joint Working Group has not heard from experts in the area of Special Education or the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).
It can be challenging to be the caregiver of a family member with a disability in Tennessee. From shortages of providers to unavailable respite services to navigating the bureaucracies of TennCare and DIDD, the state often leaves family caregivers to fend for themselves. In fact, AARP ranked Tennessee DEAD LAST in its care and support for family caregivers. But this is not breaking news for people who care for a loved one in Tennessee. Our state can do much more to support family caregivers, and we believe that can begin with supporting them financially.
What does the plan to reject federal education funds mean for students with disabilities in Tennessee? Check out our education resource hub for information and resources.
On August 8th, Governor Bill Lee called upon the General Assembly to convene for a special session on the topic of “public safety”. The call for the special session was made, in part, in response to the March 27th school shootings at the Covenant School in Nashville. His special session proclamation set the bounds of appropriate legislative topics that could be discussed and debated, from resources for mental health to juvenile justice to records and reporting requirements.
We have heard from countless TennCare members and their families that their services, care and lives have been upended by the numerous issues they’ve faced in attempting to navigate the transition to Consumer Direct Tennessee. It's past time for these issues to be fixed and for these members and families to get some accountability. Please consider joining us in our advocacy.
