January 2022

Original link to email

From the Executive Director's Desk

Hi everyone,
 
I am so proud to be writing this community as Executive Director of the Council on Developmental Disabilities. About 10 days in, my biggest takeaway is the strength of the team here at the Council. Did you know that many of our team members have been with us for more than 15 years? I’m equally as proud that several of us have joined the Council in the past 5 years, giving our team a mix of strong institutional knowledge and fresh eyes with new ideas. This is the context in which we developed our new 5 Year State Plan. You can expect our work to stay consistent with that plan. We’ll be building on what you have seen from us in the past. Behind the curtain, our team will continue to grow a strong team culture in a virtual environment. If any of our readers have tips for virtual team building, we welcome your advice!
 
My hope for this year is that we will see major progress on adult-size changing tables, which is our top legislative priority, led by citizen Council members. I would also have you look for the first public report on the TN Center for Decision-Making Support, which was launched last year with the Council’s funding and leadership. The impact that Center has made in less than a year is incredible. That includes the state’s first reversal of an unneeded conservatorship, with supported decision-making put in place instead. (Read more in Jen Cook's own words below!) Finally, I would direct everyone to check out the new TN Disability Pathfinder website. Pathfinder’s website was upgraded last year, with support from us and 5 other state agencies. This kind of partnership is unprecedented. And our investment is just getting started! We are on a path to significantly upgrade how Tennesseans find disability resources and services.

I hope reading about those highlights makes you as excited as they make me. We would not be working on any of these areas without your stories, insights, and support. Keep them coming – our power comes from your engagement with us.
 
Onward!
Lauren Pearcy, Executive Director

Council Member Spotlight: Sharing Stories of Need for Adult-Size Changing Tables

Our Council members are educating their state legislators and the public on the need for adult-size changing tables in public spaces. A Universal Changing Tables bill is right now before the TN legislature to consider this session.

This is the Council's top policy priority because member Chrissy Hood first brought it to our attention shortly after she was appointed to the Council.

Since then, Chrissy has shared her story many times with state legislators and others all across the state. Other members of our Council have joined her efforts, advocating at the state and local levels.

Here are a few highlights of the impact our members are having on this issue:

If this issue is important to you, contact your Tennessee representatives to share your story! Visit our changing tables web page for more information. 

Access 2030: Improving Accessibility in Our State Parks

Tennessee State Parks are beautiful places where nature remains unspoiled, historic sites are preserved, and the scenery is often breathtaking. 30 million people go to a Tennessee State Park every year to enjoy these magnificent places. Unfortunately, not everyone can easily enjoy our parks. Unintentional, yet real, barriers prevent people from experiencing what these special places have to offer.  
 
If Tennessee State Parks are to serve all Tennesseans, it must identify barriers and remove them. 
 
Access 2030 is a new Tennessee State Parks’ program seeking to do just that. The program is led by a Steering Committee representing agencies across state government: TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation, The Department of General Services, Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the Council on Developmental Disabilities. These members serve as coaches, consultants, and advocates for the Access 2030 vision: “To have the most accessible state park system in the nation by 2030.”
 
Access 2030 includes 7 projects to identify and remove barriers. Here is a quick list of those projects:

  • Park Accessibility addresses physical barriers. This project sets ADA compliance as a starting point and builds on it. The goal is to make all Tennessee State Parks more accessible to people with physical disabilities.
  • Model Park seeks to make Henry Horton State Park a model accessible park. That park will be a place where people from around the state can stay and play. The park may also serve as a place to try out new accessibility ideas. 
  • Telling Full Stories is an effort to break down the barrier of exclusivity. Sometimes stories, particularly at historic sites, are told from a single perspective. This project will seek to make sure all perspectives represented by the history are told in park stories.
  • Bureau Diversity is included in Access 2030 because diversity brings new perspectives and belonging for our staff. To attract more diverse park visitors, we need more diverse park staff.
  • Seasonal Interpretative Ranger (SIR) Diversity is a special project to create more diversity in the parks’ SIR program. SIRs are young people working in parks during the summer. They often choose a park career when they finish school. As a “feeder” program, a more diverse SIR program will lead to more diverse park staff.
  • Programming seeks to partner with schools to get students into the parks and natural areas. This program eliminates barriers such as limited curriculum and lack of transportation. This allows students who may have never been to a park to have an experience with nature.
  • WOW Moments will use technology to give more people the opportunity to experience some remarkable moments in our parks. Virtual reality and augmented reality will transport people to places and times they could not otherwise go. 

The next great opportunity for our parks is to make them accessible to more of our citizens. With the help of our many committee members, such as the TN Council on Developmental Disabilities, we are surely on our way. Let’s get this done!

- Jim Bryson, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Parks and Conservation, TN Department of Environment and Conservation

"The openness and excitement of the TN Parks staff surrounding accessibility for people with disabilities and their families was refreshing and encouraging. The Parks staff asked great questions, listened intently to our responses, and then navigated the park with us to actually see what we experience. We learned a lot from each other and look forward to the chance to spend more time in the parks across the state as they become more accessible over the next few years!! So thankful!" -- Council Member Alison Bynum, who joined a meeting with the TN State Parks team at Radnor Lake State Park, along with daughter Charlotte

 

Ending my Conservatorship

by Jennifer R. Cook with help from Elisa Hertzan, Esq.

My name is Jennifer Ruth Cook and I’m a thirty-seven-year old Tennessean with a mild intellectual disability. As a Britney Spears fan, I followed the #FreeBritney case and discovered that Britney and I had a lot in common. We’re both December babies, we love music, and we both had conservators. A conservator is someone appointed by a judge to make decisions on behalf of someone who is found to be disabled by the court. Conservators make decisions about where the disabled person lives, works, and even how they spend their free time and money. 

I receive services through the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Ever since I can remember, I have had a conservator. Despite the conservatorship, I’ve always led a busy life.  I work as a cleaner at UT Hospital in Knoxville. I love going with friends to the movies, to Lady Vols games, and eating at Austin’s Pizza. With support from D&S staff (my service provider), I’ve learned to advocate for myself. I recently asked for more unsupervised time in the community and got it! I’m also learning how to take the bus to work. 

Cindy Gardner, Esq., my conservator, has watched my progress. Together we agreed that it was time to end my conservatorship. Elisa Hertzan, a lawyer at Disability Rights Tennessee, agreed to represent me.

The hearing was conducted by Chancellor Fleenor, a judge at the Hamilton County Probate Court. Cindy told the judge about the progress I had made. D&S staff told the judge that I was great at advocating for myself and that with help, I could make my own decisions. My lawyer gave the Court a medical report from the doctor saying that despite my disability, I could make my own decisions.  

I testified, too. I was nervous about talking to the Chancellor, but she was warm and friendly. The Chancellor asked me why I wanted to end the conservatorship. I told her that I was ready to make my own decisions with help from my D&S support team.

I got the Christmas present I wanted. On December 22, 2021, the court entered an order ending my conservatorship! I knew just how great Britney Spears must have felt when she won her case! My next big decision is planning and budgeting for a beach vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I hope my experience provides hope to all Tennesseans who want to end their conservatorships. Believe in yourself and advocate for your right to make your own decisions. Help is available. I encourage you and your support team to contact Disability Rights Tennessee at (615) 298-1080 and the Tennessee Center for Decision-Making Support at (615) 248-5878 ext. 322, ds@thearctn.org. They can help you with supported decision-making tools and advice on ending your conservatorship. 

New Video: Lydia's Story: Person-centered support in action

Featuring Interviews from TN's Vocational Rehabilitation and Next Steps at Vanderbilt programs

Lydia Young dreams of working in the fashion industry. She is taking real steps toward that dream, with support from Vocational Rehabilitation and Next Steps at Vanderbilt. Julie Johnson, Vocational Rehabilitation Director, knows that teamwork is key: "We want the person to be at the center...of everything we do. We're all working together to serve that purpose." Our Council funded person-centered training for all Vocational Rehabilitation staff to make sure every person with a disability can get the support they need to pursue their own career dreams.

From the Council's Chief Public Information Officer

Dear readers,

My note will be short this month, because we have NEW MEMBERS for you to meet! If you follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn, you may have seen some local press about these new Governor appointments. This is a great group of folks, and we can’t wait for you to learn a bit more about them.

Our citizen members are the foundation of our work. They help us know where the gaps and barriers are, so we can work on real solutions for our state’s system of services. In our newest video, which you can watch at this link or embedded below, former member Roddey Coe and current member Martez Williams share their stories of real-world change through their roles on our Council.