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IS TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH, 2024, AND THE CURRENT TIME IS 2:07 PM PRIOR TO PROCEEDING WITH ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS TO BE MINDFUL OF.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US REMOTELY, WE KINDLY REQUEST THAT YOU KEEP YOUR CAMERAS ON AT ALL TIMES IN ORDER FOR US TO COUNT YOU PRESENT.
ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU WISH TO ASK A QUESTION OR MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE SAY YOUR NAME AND THE DISTRICT YOU ARE FROM IN ORDER TO AVOID CONFUSION.
AND FINALLY, WE KNOW THAT COMMISSIONERS IN THIS ROOM HAVE MANY CONCERNS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HEAR YOU, BUT KINDLY REQUEST THAT YOU KEEP YOUR COMMENTS AS BRIEF AND CONCISE AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO GIVE OTHERS IN THE ROOM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS AND VOICE THEIR CONCERNS.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THE AGENDA.
PLEASE SIGNIFY YOUR ATTENDANCE BY STATING YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT.
THIS IS CHAIRMAN JOHN K. CONLEY, DISTRICT 15.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER GAY REVY, DISTRICT ONE, COMMISSIONER CHRISTINA UE, DISTRICT AIDE COMMISSIONER CHRIS BALLOU, DISTRICT 10, COMMISSIONER CHARLOTTE RAMIREZ, DISTRICT SIX, COMMISSIONER STEVEN SKA, DISTRICT 13.
I ONCE AGAIN WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SINCERELY APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE.
YOUR STRONG DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMISSION MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE AS WE STRIVE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A GOOD CAUSE.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO, WE'RE NOW MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER THREE ON THE AGENDA.
IT IS, THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE GENERAL RULE OF THUMB IS NORMALLY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH SPEAKER IS ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE TWO PRESENTERS FROM THE EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS, THEREFORE WE'LL BE GIVING THEM FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UM, I APOLOGIZE, BUT SOMEBODY'S MIC IS GOING OFF.
AND WHOEVER IS ECHOING, CAN YOU PLEASE MUTE YOURSELF? OKAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO THE PRESENTERS FROM EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS TO SHARE THEIR INFORMATION.
I'M THE CHAIR OF EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS.
THAT'S IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR, UH, THE EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HERE IN DALLAS.
EMPLOYABILITY WAS FOUNDED IN 1982, UH, BY THE MAYOR, UH, DALLAS MAYOR AT THE TIME, JACK WILSON EVANS.
IT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DALLAS MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR, FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, DURING THAT TIME, EXCUSE ME, SIR.
UM, WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING YOU.
WOULD YOU PLEASE PULL THE MIC CLOSER TO YOUR FACE? YES.
MY NAME IS, AGAIN, MY NAME IS MICHAEL ADA.
I'M THE CHAIR OF EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS.
UH, WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR THE EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1982 BY MAYOR JACK WILSON EVANS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DALLAS MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR THE PEOPLE, UH, FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND TODAY, WE'RE HERE TO, UH, REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR AN UPCOMING EVENT THAT WE HAVE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THE EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
IT IS OUR ANNUAL CAREER EXPO 2024.
IT'S GONNA BE LOCATED AT THE K BAILEY HUTCHINSON CONVENTION CENTER HERE IN DALLAS.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE THE, UH, COMMISSION THAT WAS PUT WAS CREATED FOR THE, THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS, THE COMMISSION FOR DISABILITIES.
IT MIRRORS, UH, ONE, ONE OF THE PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES OF YOUR COMMISSION MIRRORS THE EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REALLY GET THE, THE COMMISSION, THIS COMMISSION INVOLVED.
SO WE'RE HOPING FOR YOUR, UH, PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT FOR THIS UPCOMING EVENT.
UH, AS WE KNOW NATIONALLY, UH, THE, THE EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAS PLATEAUED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
IT STAYS CONSISTENT AT AROUND 7.2% VERSUS OUR CURRENT NATIONAL NORMAL, UH, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT, AT, UH, 4.2, 4.5%.
SO WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT WE CAN, UH, UTILIZE
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THIS RESOURCE TO EMPLOY THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.UH, AT THIS AMAZING EVENT LAST YEAR, WE HAD OVER 45 PARTICIPANTS THAT, UH, SUCH AS AMAZON, WE HAD WALMART, TARGET, MANY, MANY LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED TO REACH OUT TO THIS SPECIAL, THIS POPULATION OF, OF, OF, UH, TALENT.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU CAN ASSIST US IN, IN, UH, ADVOCATING FOR THIS GROUP.
UM, WHAT WE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT OUR MISSIONS INTER, INTER OVERLAP OVERLAP WITH EACH OTHER.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TALKING TO EVERY GROUP THAT HAS THE SAME MISSION AND ENSURING THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF OUR EVENT.
AND ON OCTOBER 8TH, UM, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE'RE GONNA BE CELEBRATING THE, UM, NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS, AWARENESS MONTH, EXCUSE ME, ENDING.
UM, AND WE, WE JUST BASICALLY WANT YOU FOLKS TO HELP US COMMUNICATE THAT OUT TO YOUR DISTRICT SO THAT WE HAVE MORE PARTICIPATION, NOT ONLY FROM AN EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO FOR, UM, POTENTIAL JOB SEEKERS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A CAREER, UM, WITH SOME OF THE, UM, PRETTY DYNAMIC EMPLOYERS THAT WE HAVE ATTENDING.
AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING US, UH, AND ALLOWING US TO SPEAK AT THIS COMMISSION HEARING.
UH, WE, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS UPCOMING EVENT AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH, UH, OUR ROOTS, WHERE WE COME FROM.
UH, WE COME, WE STARTED OUT HERE AT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALIGN AND HELP THOSE THAT ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AND, AND, UH, ADVOCATE FOR THE RESOURCES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS COMMISSION AND HOPING THAT YOU WOULD HELP CHAMPION THE EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, AS, AS WE KNOW YOU CAN.
UH, SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR INVITING US.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD AND HOPEFULLY TO A, TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS TO AGAIN, ADVOCATE FOR THE PEOPLE, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT FOR, FOR, FOR THE, THE, THE LARGE AMOUNT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN DALLAS.
AND HOPING THAT YOU CAN BE A VOICE, UH, FOR THIS, UH, GREAT EVENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK BOTH OF THE PRESENTERS FOR THE VALUABLE INFORMATION THEY SHARED.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS WILL BE HOSTING A GREAT EVENT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US LOOK FORWARD TO EACH YEAR AS BEING ABLE TO GAIN.
UM, EMPLOYMENT IS NOT ONLY A PRIVILEGE, BUT A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AS ALL PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, WANT TO MAKE A LIVING.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR WORK, AND WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH YOU.
AND PLEASE DO REACH OUT SHOULD YOU WISH ANY ASSISTANCE FROM US.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS OR IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHED TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? NO.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, THIS COMMISSIONER CHRISTINA POWAY.
SO I DID ATTEND THE EMPLOYABILITY JOB FAIR LAST YEAR, AND IT WAS GREAT.
AND TO YOUR POINT, I AM IN AGREEANCE OF HAVING MORE ATTENDANCE.
I DID SEE THAT THERE WERE, UM, SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS THERE, BUT LIKE PLANO, CROWLEY, WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR CITY, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICT, DALLAS, ISD.
WELL, EVEN THOUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS SEPARATE FROM THE CITY, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION IN PRIOR MONTHS SO THAT THEY HAVE NOT JUST THE ACCESSIBILITY AND THE INFORMATION, BUT THEY CAN COLLABORATE WITH THE DISTRICT TO GET OUR 18 PLUS STUDENTS.
AND EVEN TO YOUR POINT, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OUR PROSPECTIVE DISTRICTS TO ATTEND.
BECAUSE AS YOU NOTED, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED, THEY'RE UNEMPLOYED, AND WE HAD 750,000 AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO LOST THEIR JOBS DUE TO THEIR DISABILITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ATTENDING THIS YEAR AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER POI AND MOST DEFINITELY, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE AS YOU INDICATED, UH, COMMISSIONER POI, THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SADLY HAVE TO FACE THE REAL TRUTH OF UNEMPLOYMENT.
AND ONE SAD REALITY IS, IN THE CASE OF BLINDNESS, MORE THAN 80% OF PEOPLE ARE UNEMPLOYED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THAT NUMBER SEEMS TO BE GOING UP.
SO IT SEEMS TO BE ON AN INCLINE RATHER THAN A DECLINE.
AND I CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, PROVIDING MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I CERTAINLY SUGGEST THAT EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS IN THE FUTURE PROVIDE TRAININGS ON THE JURISDICTION THAT GOES BEHIND EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND LOOK AT CASES OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION AND WHAT TO DO IN A SITUATION WHEN AN EMPLOYEE WITH A DISABILITY FEELS THAT THEIR
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RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED.SO THIS IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS, UM, YOU MOVE FORWARD IN YOUR EFFORTS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISH TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? HI, MY NAME IS RICK HENRY.
I'M THE FOUNDER OF FUTURE CHAMPS OF TEXAS WRESTLING AND BOXING CLUB.
CAN YOU PLEASE COME CLOSER TO THE MIC? THAT BETTER? YES, SIR.
I'M THE FOUNDER OF FUTURE CHAMPS OF TEXAS WRESTLING AND BOXING CLUB.
LOCATED, UM, JUST SOUTH OF HERE.
UH, I HAVE A VISION IMPAIRMENT.
I WRESTLED AT A PRETTY HIGH LEVEL FOR CANADA WRESTLING, THE PAN-AMERICAN GAMES.
I'M HOPING THAT SPORTS CAN BE PUSHED MORE FOR ALL YOUTH THAT HAVE DISABILITIES.
THAT IS A VERY GOOD POINT, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
ANYONE ELSE THAT WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT? I'M SORRY.
COMMISSIONER PUE HERE, COULD YOU PLEASE COME BACK TO THE MICROPHONE AND GIVE THE PUBLIC HOW WE CAN CONTACT YOU? LIKE MAYBE YOUR WEBSITE AND EMAIL, MAYBE A PHONE NUMBER, ESPECIALLY FOR AGAIN, STUDENTS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT SERVICES YOU ACTUALLY PROVIDE FOR WRESTLING, BUT, UM, WE WOULD NEED THAT INFORMATION PLEASE.
ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS RICK HENRY, OUR ORGANIZATION, FUTURE CHAMPS OF TEXAS WRESTLING AND BOXING CLUB.
MY PHONE NUMBER IS TWO ONE FOUR NINE ZERO SIX ZERO SEVEN SIX EIGHT TWO ONE FOUR NINE ZERO SIX ZERO SEVEN SIX EIGHT.
OUR WEBSITE IS NOW CURRENTLY BEING REBUILT, SO IT'S NOT ON BOARD.
WHAT WE PROVIDE ARE WRESTLING AND BOXING FOR ALL YOUTH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. HENRY, FOR THIS INFORMATION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE THAT WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
THIS CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENT SEGMENT OF OUR AGENDA.
WE WISH TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT DID PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, INCLUDING THE PRESENTERS FROM EMPLOYABILITY DALLAS AND MR. HENRY.
I STRONGLY URGE EACH COMMISSIONER TO INVITE INDIVIDUALS THEY MAY KNOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON DISABILITY RELATED ISSUES.
AS THE MORE VOICES WE HEAR, THE STRONGER WE WILL BE.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
THIS IS FROM THE JUNE 25TH, 2024 MEETING.
KEEP IN MIND, WE DID NOT MEET LAST MONTH.
ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE EDITS AT THIS TIME? YES.
I JUST HAVE A ONE EDIT, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUED EDIT AND I'M NOT SURE WHY WE HAD TO REVISIT THIS.
SO ON PAGE TWO, WHERE IT READS STATEMENT AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
ON FEBRUARY THE 15TH, COMMISSIONER POEY ATTENDED NETFLIX BLACK BEAUTY EFFECT DOCUMENTARY RED CARPET PREMIERE SHOULD INCLUDE INVITED BY THINK THREE MEDIA PR HER NAME IS LEAH FRAZIER.
IT'S LEAH FRAZIER, NOT JUST PR FRAZIER.
IF WE COULD PLEASE FIX THAT, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT AND HOPEFULLY THIS WOULD BE THE LAST EDIT TO CORRECT HER NAME.
DISTRICT ONE, ONE EDIT PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER REVY REPORTED CONNECTING THE RESIDENT WITH THE TEXAS RAMP PROJECT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE EDITS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, THERE IS ONE EDIT I WISH TO MAKE UNDERNEATH OFFICER REPORTS.
THERE IS A STATEMENT THAT READS, CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERSECTIONAL DISABILITY CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK IT'D BE BETTER IF THE STATEMENT READ CHAIRMAN CAL CONLEY EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERSATIONS AS IT RELATES TO DISABILITY AND INTERSECTIONALITY.
AND HE EXPRESSED HIS HOPE THAT THESE SUMMITS AND CONVERSATIONS WILL, THAT PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY WILL CONTINUE.
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ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE COMMENTS OR EDITS TO THE MINUTES AT THIS TIME? I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED.ALRIGHT, SO BASED ON THIS, UM, WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES BE AS ACCEPTED.
ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE IN THAT CASE.
THE MOTION PASSES AND THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AS READ.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON THE AGENDA.
I WILL BEGIN BY PROVIDING THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
ON JULY 26TH, THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION HOSTED OUR VERY FIRST CELEBRATION AT DALLAS CITY HALL, MARKING THE 34TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, A DA.
IN ADDITION, WE RECEIVED OUR VERY FIRST PROCLAMATION FROM OUR RESIDING MAYOR, ERIC L. JOHNSON, RECOGNIZING JULY 26TH.
AS AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AWARENESS DAY, WE OWE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO MAYOR JOHNSON FOR CREATING OUR BODY AS IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIS SUPPORT.
WE ALSO WISH TO EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION FOR ASSISTING US WITH THE LOGISTICS AND PLANNING OF THIS MEMORABLE CELEBRATION.
WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT, THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
AS A LEADER OF THIS COMMISSION, IT WAS A DISTINCT HONOR TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE WE BROADENED THE DISCUSSION SURROUNDING DISABILITY TO A HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK.
THIS WAS ALSO AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE A DA, ENGAGE WITH LOCAL RESOURCES AND REFLECT ON THE JOURNEY AHEAD IN ADVANCING DISABILITY, JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, EVENTS LIKE THIS REMIND US OF THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE AND THE WORK THAT IS STILL LEFT TO BE DONE IN ACHIEVING FULL DISABILITY INCLUSION IN OUR WORKPLACES, COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND.
TOGETHER WE NOT ONLY BROUGHT A HUMAN FACE TO THE EVERYDAY CHALLENGES FACED BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THROUGH POWERFUL INSIGHTS AND TESTIMONIES OFFERED BY OUR DYNAMIC SPEAKERS, BUT ALSO WE REAFFIRMED OUR SHARED COMMITMENT IN PROMOTING ACCESSIBLE, EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE SOLUTIONS FOR A GREATER DALLAS.
AS A RESULT OF THIS SPECIAL OCCASION, WE ARE MORE EMPOWERED NOW THAN EVER BEFORE TO CONTINUE CELEBRATING THE HUMANITY CONTRIBUTIONS AND LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THESE PEOPLE EACH YEAR.
ON THIS DAY, WE VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR AS WE WILL BE ORGANIZING A FLAG RAISING CEREMONY AT DALLAS CITY HALL.
RECOGNIZING JULY AS DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH.
UPON CONTACTING THE OEI STAFF, I WAS ADVISED BY DR. LINDSAY WILSON, DIRECTOR OF A DEPARTMENT THAT SHE HAS REQUESTED MEMBERS OF HER TEAM TO BEGIN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
THIS OCCASION WILL ALSO BE THE VERY FIRST OF ITS KIND IN OUR CITY.
ON JULY 27TH, I ATTENDED THE PUBLIC LAUNCHING OF HUMAN RIGHTS DALLAS, WHERE I WAS PRIVILEGED TO REPRESENT THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES.
I APPRECIATE THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND THIS ORGANIZATION'S CREATION AS IT AIMS TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF BELONGING.
WE AS A COMMISSION STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES CAN BEST BE ACHIEVED WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER WITH A CITY WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS IS AT THE CORE OF ALL ITS EFFORTS.
THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND I WILL NOW OPEN THE FLOOR TO OUR COMMISSIONERS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE THEIR REPORTS.
CHRISTINA POWAY HERE, COMMISSIONER CHRISTINA POWAY, DISTRICT EIGHT.
UM, TO PIGGYBACK ON CHAIR CAL COUNTY, YES, WE DID HAVE OUR A DA CIVIL RIGHTS
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LEGISLATION 34TH ANNIVERSARY.UM, I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE AS A COMMISSION WE THRIVE TO HOPE TO NOT ONLY CELEBRATE EACH OTHER AND COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHO WAS ONLINE, HOPEFULLY THEY WERE, BUT WHEN THEY INTRODUCED US AS A COMMISSION AND THERE'S VERY FEW OF US, IT'S VERY DISCOURAGING.
UM, IN THE PREVIOUS TERM, WHEN I WAS THE CHAIRWOMAN, UNFORTUNATELY YOU HAVE THINGS WHERE THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, COME TO FRUITION AND YOU FIGHT FOR THAT.
AND CHAIR KA CONNIE FOUGHT FOR THIS.
HE PUT FORTH THE EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE OEI STAFF SUPPORTED THIS, UM, AND THAT THE MAYOR JOHNSON HAD A PROCLAMATION.
AND THERE WERE ONLY, NOT JUST MYSELF, BUT ONE OTHER COMMISSIONER WHO WAS PRESENT.
I WANT US TO DO BETTER AS A BODY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT THIS COMMISSION AND OUR CHAIR.
HOWEVER, OUR ATTENDANCE, WE CAN'T ASK OUR COMMUNITY AND STAFF HERE TO SUPPORT US IF WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE IT'S INTEGRAL THAT WE REPRESENT OURSELVES WELL AND AS A FULL BODY.
UM, ON JULY THE 27TH, I ALSO ATTENDED THE LUNCH OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS, UM, AT SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY.
UH, CHAIR CALLED CONNIE WAS THERE AS WELL.
UM, THAT INFORMATION, WE DID RECEIVE IT THE DAY BEFORE.
SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN, BUT AGAIN, WHETHER IT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE DISTRICT, UM, YOU ARE A CITIZEN, A MEMBER, A COMMUNITY MEMBER, CONSTITUENTS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL YOURSELVES, LIVING IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR DISTRICT.
WHETHER YOU'RE A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER HAS HAD AN EVENT SO THAT WE AS A BODY, AGAIN, CAN SAY, WELL, WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT SET EVENT, WHETHER PEOPLE THERE TO REPRESENT THE DISABILITY POPULATION OR PEOPLE WHO NEED, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE INCLUDED AND INVITED.
UM, ON AUGUST THE FIRST IN MY DISTRICT, WHICH IS DISTRICT EIGHT, I ATTENDED A VOTER ENGAGEMENT.
NOW THIS IS NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE BEING NONPARTISAN OR WHAT YOUR PARTY IS, BUT JUST PLEASE MAKE SURE IF YOU'RE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE, UM, THAT YOU GET REGISTERED BECAUSE NOVEMBER IS COMING.
UM, I HAD ONE CONCERN, COMPLAINT GRIEVANCE.
UM, SOME OF US HAVE HAD THESE ISSUES BEFORE.
IF YOU'VE HAD A STUDENT OR A CHILD IN DALLAS, ISD AND ESPECIALLY IF YOUR CHILD MORE SO SPECIFICALLY HAS A DISABILITY, REGARDLESS OF THE DISABILITY, ONE THING FOR CERTAIN IS COMPLIANCE.
I'M GONNA SHARE SOMETHING VERY PERSONAL.
MY OLDEST SON, HE'S 22 YEARS OLD AND HE GRADUATED THIS YEAR.
AND THERE BEKNOWN TO A LOT OF PARENTS, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER IF THAT CHILD HAS A DISABILITY, THEY CANNOT SIT IN THE TWO HOUR CEREMONY.
SO IN YOUR ARD MEETING, WHICH IS YOUR ANNUAL REVIEW DECISION MEETING, AND THAT IEP, WHICH IS THE INDIVIDUALIZED, EXCUSE ME, THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN, PLEASE GET WITH THAT COMMITTEE.
YOU AS A PARENT ARE A PART OF THAT COMMITTEE.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK IMMEDIATELY REGARDLESS OF THEIR LAST NAME BEHIND THE VALEDICTORIAN AND THE SALUTATORIAN.
WELL, IN ALL FULL TRANSPARENCY, DALLAS, ISD TO BE STIFLED, MY SON HAS NOT RECEIVED HIS HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH DALLAS, ISD WITH THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AND, UM, TA SO I'M GLAD THEY'RE HERE TODAY.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS A COMPLAINT, IT'S ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY.
SO PARENTS, YOU AS WELL HAVE TO KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.
YOU CANNOT JUST BLAME OR SHIFT BLAME ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY DON'T KNOW.
BUT WHEN THEY DO KNOW, LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE AND PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
WE COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH THE POINTS YOU MADE.
THEY'RE EXCELLENT AND VALUABLE WITH REGARDS TO LAST MONTH AND THE A DA CEREMONY.
YES, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAD HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE INDIVIDUALS THERE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS WHO DID NOT ATTEND.
PLEASE DO KNOW THAT YOU WERE MISSED AND WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT YEAR, UH, AS WE DO, UH, ORGANIZE THE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY, UH, UM, RECOGNIZING JULY AS DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH IN ADDITION TO OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT MAY BE COMING UP.
AND WITH REGARDS TO THE POINT YOU MADE ABOUT THE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION, YES, PARENTS ABSOLUTELY DO NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
I WAS VERY FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE MY MOTHER INVOLVED IN MY EDUCATION WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHEN UNFORTUNATELY THE TEACHERS DIDN'T LIKE IT OR APPRECIATE
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IT.I MEAN, SO WE NEED TO KNOW OUR RIGHTS.
WE NEED TO BE INFORMED CITIZENS AND STUDENTS AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
COMMISSIONER WHITE BALLOU, DISTRICT 10.
UM, I'M SORRY BEVERLY, I DIDN'T SEE YOUR HAND GO UP.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD, PLEASE FEEL FREE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE COMMISSIONER WHITE.
SHE HAD A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? GO AHEAD.
MY MINE WAS TO, UH, COMMISSIONER'S
I RAISED 2 5 0 4 KIDS AND AT ONE POINT HAD TO WORK WITH THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION TO CHANGE THE LAW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, I FOUND MOST SCHOOLS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE LAW AND I UNFORTUNATELY FOUND SOME, UM, THAT DIDN'T CARE WHETHER THEY KNEW IT OR NOT.
AND A LOT OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, WE CAN ALL RESONATE WITH THE POINTS YOU SHARED.
COMMISSIONER WHITE, ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE REPORTS? COMMISSIONER BLUE, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAD MR. BLUE DISTRICT 10.
SO FIRST ONE START OFF THAT I WAS, UM, VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAD THE A DA, UH, ANNIVERSARY EVENT.
UM, I RE YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THAT ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE VERY TIME AND HOUR IN WHICH WE WERE DOING THAT, I WAS BURYING MY FATHER.
SO IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE IN DALLAS, TEXAS AND AT, AT A GRAVE SITE.
SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE PEOPLE HAVE TO MEET THINGS, IT'S NOT DUE A LACK OF WANT TO OR A LACK OF NEED OR, UM, OF SUPPORT, IT'S SOMETIMES BIGGER THINGS ARE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES AT THE TIME.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, I WANT TO MENTION THAT THERE IS A GREAT RESOURCE CALLED RIGHT LAW THAT HELPS, UM, PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WITH, UM, AND I NEED TO LOOK UP THE ACTUAL NAME.
I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT MY COMPUTER OFF BY A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THEY HAVE INCREDIBLE SEMINARS THAT HELP PARENTS EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON THE, UM, IEP PROCESS, THE ART PROCESS AND OTHER THINGS, UH, RELATED TO SPECIAL EDUCATION.
IT'S, UM, SOME INCREDIBLE RESOURCES THAT MY WIFE AND I EMPLOY EMPLOYED BACK WHEN WE FIRST STARTED IN THE EDUCATION DISTRICT, WHICH HELPED US, UM, TO COMMISSIONER WHITE'S POINT BE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND BE ABLE TO STAND UP FOR WHAT WE KNEW WERE OUR RIGHTS.
I ALSO WANNA REPORT THAT THIS PAST SUNDAY, UH, MY FAMILY AND I ATTENDED THE, UH, HIGHLAND PARK METHODIST BELONG MINISTRIES.
THEY HAVE AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR ADULTS WITH, UH, DISABILITIES OF ALL OF ALL ABILITIES, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN MULTIPLE THINGS, INCLUDING WORSHIP PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE RESPITE PROGRAMS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN, UH, WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR PARENTS SO THEY CAN HAVE A NIGHT OUT.
THEY HAVE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE A CAFE THAT IS STAFFED BY THEIR, UM, CLIENTS, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A GROUP CALLED THE SPOTLIGHT ACADEMY OF THE ARTS BY DAUGHTER PERFORMED IN THE, UM, SPOTLIGHT MOVIE PRODUCTION THAT WAS, UH, HAD ITS WORLD PREMIERE WITH RED CARPET EVENT AT HIGHLAND PARK METHODIST ON SUNDAY NIGHT.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT AND IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM THAT IS FREE OF CHARGE TO RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE, AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY JUST DALLAS, HER BOYFRIEND WHO SHE MET THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IS A RESIDENT OF WATAGA, SO THEREFORE IT SERVES THE ENTIRE METROPLEX.
BUT IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM AND, AND A VERY HEARTWARMING EVENT TO SEE THESE ADULTS BEING ABLE TO, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT'S EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE ABOUT IT IS A LOT OF THINGS ARE FOCUSED ON YOUTH AND CHILDREN, BUT AS YOU HAVE, UM, AS SOME OF US ARE AWARE, AS YOUR CHILDREN AGE INTO ADULTS, THE RESOURCES BECOME MORE LIMITED.
AND SO WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS IT IS FOR ADULTS.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BLU FOR PROVIDING THIS REPORT.
UH, FIRST OFF, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR, OUR HEARTFELT SORROW FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR FATHER AND SEND OUR CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
PLEASE KNOW THAT WE, THE COMMISSION ARE HERE FOR YOU SHOULD YOU NEED OUR SUPPORT.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, UM, VULNERABLE MOMENT AGAIN.
I WANNA EXTEND, UH, MY SENSORY CONDOLENCES TO YOU.
GRIEF IS DIFFICULT, BUT I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER WHITE.
UM, YES, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, BUT EVEN WHEN WE KNOW OUR RIGHTS AND DALLAS, ISD
[00:30:01]
OR ANY DISTRICT PER SE FAILS TO COMPLY WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS, YOU WILL GET PUSHBACK PER CHAIRMAN OR CONNIE'S STATEMENT ABOUT THEM NOT LIKING IT.IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM NOT LIKING IT.
THEY SHOULD INVITE IT BECAUSE WHETHER YOU KNOW THE LAW, WHETHER YOU CARE NOT TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ABIDE BY THE LAW, WE HAVE A RIGHT AS A PARENT, AS AN ADVOCATE, AS A LEGAL GUARDIAN TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN'S DISABILITY RIGHTS AND THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS WHEN THEY'RE IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHEN RESOURCES NOT BEING PROVIDED AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT OBTAINING WHAT IS DUE TO THEM.
SO, UM, AND THEN ONE LAST STATEMENT.
I I HEAR YOU THAT WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER PRIORITIES, BUT WE HAVE ALL COMMITTED TO THIS COMMISSION.
AND WHEN WE VOTE FOR SOMETHING, WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE A TIME.
SO WHEN WE VOTED FOR THAT TIME, WE ALL FIGURED THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE WILL ALL BE AVAILABLE.
SO IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU CAN'T BE AVAILABLE PHYSICALLY, PLEASE BE PRESENT ONLINE.
I'M SORRY, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE ANY OTHER RELATIVES LET ME KNOW THAT WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO PASS AWAY SO I CAN BE SURE TO ATTEND.
I'M NOT SPEAKING, I'M NOT SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT THE FUNERAL, SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE DEFENSIVE.
I'M SPEAKING IN GENERAL, NOT YOU.
I I ALREADY EXTENDED MY CONDOLENCES, SO I DON'T WANNA TAKE AWAY FROM THAT.
AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AS A BODY, NOT YOU VERY SPECIFICALLY INDIVIDUALLY, BUT AS A WHOLE, EVERYONE VOTED YES, EVERYONE VOTED FOR THAT TIME.
SO TO BE EXCLUDE YOU FROM THAT MOVING FORWARD, WHEN WE WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THESE EVENTS THAT ARE APPROVED AND IT TAKES A TEAMWORK AND TEAM EFFORT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, WE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE.
AGAIN, REMOVING YOU FROM THAT.
BUT I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS AN EMOTIONAL, STRESSFUL, UH, BANTER.
I'M TALKING ABOUT IN TOTAL COMMITMENT, DO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE AVAILABLE? THANK YOU.
I THINK THESE ARE VALID POINTS AND STATEMENTS.
UM, CAN I JUST,
WE, I MENTIONED YOU EITHER FULLY COMMISS TO OR YOU DON'T, SO THAT'S TOTALLY TAKEN.
ALRIGHT, JUST REAL QUICK, I WANT TO AMEND MY STATEMENT.
THE NAME OF THAT WEBSITE, WHICH HAS INCREDIBLE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS ON THE LAW IS RIGHTS LAW, ALL ONE WORD.
THEY HAVE INCREDIBLE FREE RESOURCES.
THEY HAVE SEMINARS ALSO, BUT THEIR WEBSITE IS FULL OF GOOD RESOURCES ON WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE TO HELP PARENTS EDUCATE.
I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER PIER.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT A PARENT IS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE REPORTS? COMMISSIONER REVY, DISTRICT ONE? YES.
TODAY I HAVE FOUR ITEMS TO REPORT AND ITEM NUMBER ONE IS MOSEY.
NOW THE CHAIR AND I HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THAT WE VISITED MOSEY AND THEY SUPPLY DRIVERLESS AUTONOMOUS ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT ARE FULLY A DA COMPLIANT.
AND WHILE I'M HAPPY TO WELCOME THEM HERE TODAY, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THEM, I AM SAD THAT DALLAS WILL NOT BE THE LEADER IN INTRODUCING THIS TECHNOLOGY TO NORTHERN TEXAS.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ARLINGTON WILL BE USING MOTOR VEHICLE MO VEHICLES FOR THE WORLD CUP, EVEN SADDER FOR DALLAS, THE ASSEMBLY PLANT AND THE JOBS THAT GO WITH IT WILL ALSO BE LOCATED IN ARLINGTON.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS, MOSEY AND BA HUMBUG.
ON THE SCREEN CHAIR IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU AND DEPUTY STANDING BESIDE OLLIE.
THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE THAT WE SAW THE DAY EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN WE VISITED MOSEY AND THE WHEELCHAIR RAMP IS EXTENDED.
AND MY THANKS TO STAFF MEMBER MR. COPELAND, WHO ALERTED ME TO THE PRESENCE OF THIS FREE SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
HE WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS REAL OR IF IT WAS A MIRAGE, MR. COPELAND, IT WAS REAL.
I WENT TO THE LIME WEBSITE, RESERVED A SCOOTER, AND IT SHOWED UP AT MY APARTMENT ON TIME FOR A ONE DAY USE.
FREE PICK UP WAS THE NEXT DAY.
I RESEARCHED RATES FOR RENTING A SCOOTER HERE IN DALLAS.
AND THE CHEAPEST RATE I CAN FIND FOR A ONE DAY RENTAL OF THIS SCOOTER IS $177.
CHAIRMAN, I SUGGEST THIS COMMISSION INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM LYME TO APPEAR HERE TO FURTHER EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM AND ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.
NEXT IS PHOENIX MOBILITY RISING.
THEY'RE WITH THE NORTH TEXAS TRANSPORTATION HUB.
I CONTINUE TO MEET WITH THIS GROUP, WHICH PROVIDES FREE TRANSPORTATION FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS IT,
[00:35:01]
DISABLED OR NOT.THIS NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS PROVIDES TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, WORK, OR SHOPPING AT NO CHARGE AND CHAIRMAN.
AND I SUGGEST ALSO THAT THIS COMMISSION BE INVITED TO APPEAR HERE AND EXPLAIN THEIR SERVICES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
LAST IS THE DALLAS BICYCLE COALITION.
THEY ARE PLANNING TO INCLUDE ADAPTIVE BICYCLES IN THEIR EVENT IN OCTOBER A WEEK WITHOUT DRIVING.
IN ADDITION, I HAD TWO MEDIA REQUESTS THIS MONTH.
THE FIRST WAS FROM ADVOCATE MAGAZINE AND THAT, UH, APPEARED ON THEIR WEBSITE ON AUGUST 20TH.
THE OTHER REQUEST WAS FROM NB CT V FIVE, AND THAT INTERVIEW AIRED ON THE 10 O'CLOCK NEWS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 23RD.
IN CONCLUSION, PLEASE THINK ABOUT ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT HERE TODAY.
WE DIDN'T KNOW MOST OF THEM EXISTED UNTIL WE WALKED INTO THIS MEETING.
IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE SERVICES THIS COMMISSION COULD PROVIDE IS TO BEGIN A LIST OF SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN DALLAS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
AND I DON'T MEAN JUST TRANSPORTATION, WE NEED TO SEE ABOUT BUILDING AN INTERACTIVE DATABASE SO THAT ANYBODY CAN FIND ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, REVY FOR YOUR REPORT.
UM, AS I HAVE INDICATED TO YOU IN MY COURSE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCES, WE AS A COMMISSION STRONGLY COMMEND YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS YOU'RE ENGAGED IN WITH REGARDS TO THE LYME ASSIST, UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER SCOOTERS THAT WE WE'RE SEEING ON THE STREETS.
UM, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT IS OF MOST CONCERN IS THE NUM, THE, UM, THE DRIVERS WHO ARE NOT.
UH, AND, AND LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, IN A MORE TACTFUL WAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS OF MOST CONCERN TO ME, AND I'M SURE TO OTHERS IN THE ROOM, IS THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE CARELESSLY DRIVING THE SCOOTERS.
THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, RECKLESSLY LEAVING THEIR SCOOTERS UNATTENDED.
WE, UH, IF YOU MAY REMEMBER IN PREVIOUS YEARS WHEN THERE WERE SCOOTERS DRIVING, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WOULD FALLEN INJURE THEMSELVES.
THERE WERE ALSO THOSE WHERE THE SCOOTERS WOULD BE PARKED IN FRONT OF WHEELCHAIR RAMPS OR BUILT OR ENTRANCES TO BUILDINGS.
SO, UM, PERHAPS LYME ASSIST WHEN THEY, UH, IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM, THEY SHOULD PERHAPS PROVIDE SOME TRAINING ON HOW TO MOST EFFECTIVELY OPERATE THESE VEHICLES SO THAT WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT INJURIES OR HEAR THOSE PEOPLE WHO UNFORTUNATELY LOSE THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF, OF CARELESS ACTIONS.
UH, I HATE SEEING THOSE BICYCLES AND THOSE SCOOTERS LYING ON THE SIDEWALKS.
THEY'RE, THEY ARE A NUISANCE ON THESE SCOOTERS THAT ARE RENTED RIGHT NOW.
IT CLEARLY SAYS, DO NOT RIDE ON SIDEWALKS.
NOW IT IS LEGAL FOR THE, FOR THE ADAPTIVE BICYCLES AND THE SCOOTERS TO BE ON THE SIDEWALKS.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEACE PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO KNOW, EVEN THOUGH BICYCLES ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE SIDEWALKS EXCEPT IN DOWNTOWN, EXCEPT IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS, UH, THEY'RE ALLOWED ELSEWHERE.
I I REALLY HAVE A CONCERN THAT, UH, PEOPLE DON'T START ABANDONING THESE, THESE, AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE MORE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
THEY HAVE A THREE REAL BIKE THAT I THINK WOULD JUST BE FUN TO RIDE AROUND ON.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA TRY NEXT.
UM, COMMISSIONER WHITE, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A COMMENT, UH, TO COMMISSIONER REVY.
UM, AND ANYONE, I SUPPOSE, UH, MEDICAID AND MEDICARE WILL BUY SCOOTERS FOR ANYONE THAT NEEDS IT.
I'VE, I'VE GOTTEN ONE THROUGH MEDICAID WHEN I WAS, UH, DEEMED DISABLED BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, WHICH BY THE WAY, IS WHY I DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE EVENT BECAUSE I COULDN'T DRIVE THAT DAY BECAUSE OF THE PAIN I WAS IN.
AND, UM, THEN MEDICARE WILL ALSO DO THE SAME.
NOT SAYING THEY DON'T NEED THE RENTALS, BUT IT WILL DO THE SAME.
AND I SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT THESE RENTALS FROM LYME ARE FOR ONE DAY ONLY, ONLY ONE DAY.
THE, UM, SCOOTER WAS DROPPED OFF ONE DAY AND, AND WENT BACK THE NEXT DAY.
SO IT'S JUST A ONE DAY RENTAL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE REPORTS PRIOR TO MOVING TO THE NEXT ORDER? BUSINESS COMMISSIONER BALLOU DISTRICT 10.
JUST TO COMMENT ON COMMISSIONER READS, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU
[00:40:01]
SO MUCH FOR THIS VERY INFORMATIVE, UH, AS A CHILD, AS A PARENT OF A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME WHO WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DRIVE, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THESE WONDERFUL TRANSPORTATION AND I COMPLETELY SUPPORT YOUR IDEA OF CREATING SUCH A, UH, RESOURCE AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THAT AND 'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE ON A FUTURE AGENDA TO BE A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AND TO MOVE IT FORWARD.'CAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S A GREAT IDEA YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU, UM, COMMISSIONER BLU FOR SHARING YOUR POINTS AT THIS TIME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH SHOULD PROVIDE REPORTS? NO, I JUST HAD A STATEMENT.
I WOULD REALLY, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY WE AREN'T DOING IT.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ARLINGTON.
UM, I LOVE THE CITY OF ARLINGTON, BUT WE HAVE 2 MILLION PEOPLE AND I'M QUITE FOR SERGEANT, AND I MAY HAVE THIS DATA WRONG, BUT I KNOW AT LEAST OVER 60% OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS HAVE A DISABILITY OF SOME FORM OF DIAGNOSES.
I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY WE ARE NOT ADOPTING THIS OR HAVING IT IN OUR CITY, BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN TRUTH AND TRANSPARENCY.
SO WE NEED TO KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE ANSWERS, NOT JUST NOT DO IT AND THEN LEAVE IT TO THE WAYSIDE.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION AND FIND OUT WHY.
I THINK THAT IS A GREAT POINT.
AND, UM, I THINK MUCH OF IT, UM, SADLY HAS TO DO WITH THE OPERATION AND, AND LEADERSHIP, BUT THAT'S, UH, FOR A WHOLE NOTHER DISCUSSION.
SO I WON'T NECESSARILY GO THERE.
BUT AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WISH TO PROVIDE REPORTS? NO.
UM, AND THEN IN THAT CASE THEN, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHARING YOUR REPORTS.
I AM CERTAINLY EXCITED AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE PROGRESS THAT WE MAKE.
AND IN THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS, WE ARE NOW MOVING TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THESE ARE BRIEFING ITEMS. WE ARE SO HONORED TO HAVE TWO PRESENTERS WITH US TODAY.
AUGUST IS BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON.
A MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS ARE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM PROBABLY, UM, HAVING, GETTING STARTED ON THEIR COURSE CONTENT ALREADY MOVING FORWARD.
HOWEVER, ONE AREA THAT IS OFTEN NEGLECTED IN EDUCATION IS, IS THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN.
WE ARE DEEPLY HONORED TO HAVE DR. JENNIFER ALEXANDER, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND STUDENT SUPPORTS OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY.
TEA JENNIFER, DR. ALEXANDER WILL PRESENT ON SPECIAL EDUCATION, UH, SERVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, SHE WILL ALSO TALK ABOUT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE SERVICES.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I NOW PASS THE MIC TO DR. ALEXANDER.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR HAVING ME.
I'M VERY EXCITED AND HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND MONITORING.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AS AN OFFICE, UH, WITH A COMMITMENT FOR THE COMMISSIONER, THE SPECIAL POPULATIONS FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
SO WE'RE A FAIRLY NEW OFFICE AT THE AGENCY.
MANY OF THE SERVICES EXISTED IN OTHER OFFICES ACROSS THE AGENCY IN THE OFFICE.
UH, WE ARE COMMITTED TO STATE AND FED FEDERAL REGULATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OF PROGRAM SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS, STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK, UH, STUDENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN FOSTER CARE, MILITARY CONNECTED, AND ALSO THE PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE SEVERAL OF THE PROGRAMS. TODAY, I WILL FOCUS ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND IN PREPARATION FOR, UH, THE, THE PRESENTATION TODAY, REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON GIVING YOU A LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THEN BRINGING IT INTO A FOCUS AND A LENS ON REGION 10, WHICH I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IT'S LARGER THAN JUST THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT REALLY A LENS ON WHAT'S IN THE REGION.
AND, UM, REALLY COMMITTED TO THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE LANDSCAPE OF STUDENTS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WHILE YOU'RE PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND YOUR PRIORITIES AROUND WORKFORCE EDUCATION.
MANY OF THE STUDENTS' PLANS, UH, ARE BE, BEGIN THE MINUTE THEY WALK IN THE DOOR.
AND BY STATE LAW, BY THE AGE OF 14, AND AT THE AGE OF 14, WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE PLANS IN PLACE.
SO KNOWING ABOUT SERVICES AND HAVING THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY ARE VERY
[00:45:01]
MEANINGFUL AND HUGE FOR GETTING THE, THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS AND THE DOCUMENTATION IN THEIR INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE MEANINGFUL AS THEY MOVE ON AND GRADUATE SCHOOLS.SO MOVING FORWARD, AND I DON'T KNOW, DID YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL PRESENTATION? CAN YOU SEE THE SLIDES THAT I I DON'T SEE THEM.
I'LL START ON SLIDE THREE NOW.
I WANTED TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND AND SOME CONTEXT.
WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING, TRACKING THE TRAJECTORY OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH DISABILITIES IN TEXAS.
UM, JUST TO BRING SOME AWARENESS, IN 2017, THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION REHABILITATION SERVICES IN WASHINGTON DC FOUND THAT TEXAS HAD CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO MAKE WITH REGARD TO PROVIDING SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND WITH CHILD FUND.
UM, AND 2014, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY, AS YOU CAN SEE, 8.6% OF THE STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH DISABILITIES AND WHERE WE ARE, AND THIS, THIS LAST DATA THAT YOU SEE IS FROM WHAT WE CALL SNAPSHOT.
IT'S TAKEN IN OCTOBER OF 2023.
SO I, I ASSURE YOU IT'S LARGER THAN THIS NOW, WE JUST HAVEN'T REPORTED IT HERE.
UM, WE WERE AT 14% WITH 775,318 STUDENTS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IDENTIFIED WITH DISABILITIES.
CURRENTLY, THAT IS, WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAN MANY STATES HAVE TOTAL POPULATION OF STUDENTS, IF THAT GIVES ANY CONTEXT TO THE LANDSCAPE WITH WHICH WE, UH, IN TEXAS PROVIDE SERVICES AND ARE LOOKING TO PROVIDE SERVICES BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THE NATION CURRENTLY IS AT 15% ON THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WITH ABOUT 7.5 MILLION, UH, STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH DISABILITIES NATIONWIDE.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I KIND OF HONE IN, WE CAN GO TO FOUR ON REGION 10, THERE'S A LINK AT THE TOP THAT IT GIVES YOU A VIEW OF LIST OF ALL THE SCHOOLS IN REGION 10.
WHAT I MEAN BY REGION 10 IS IN TEXAS, WE HAVE 20 EDUCATION SERVICE CENTERS THAT PROVIDE REGIONAL SERVICES DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITIES, UH, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THEIR REGIONAL CONTEXT.
WITH THAT LINK, IT'S BROKEN DOWN TO HAVE COLIN ELLIS, DALLAS, FANON, GRAYSON HENDERSON HUNT, ROCKWALL KAUFMAN, AND VAN ZANT COUNTIES.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE DIRECTLY, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK INTO THAT LINK, THE, THE, THE LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES, BOTH CHARTER AND DISTRICTS THAT ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, THAT ARE IN, IN DALLAS, THAT REGION 10, UH, PROVIDE SERVICES TO.
SO IN BREAKING DOWN JUST REGION 10 ALONE, 15.5% OF ALL STUDENTS SERVE THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION RESIDE IN REGION 10.
THAT GIVES SOME CONTEXT TO THE STUDENTS THAT WILL, UM, POSSIBLY BE NEEDING TRANSITION SERVICES AT SOME POINT THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL CAREER.
MOVING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WHAT I DID IS IN SCHOOLS WE OFTEN BREAK DOWN, GIVES YOU KIND OF A TRAJECTORY TOO WHEN STUDENTS ARE ENTERING, BEING IDENTIFIED WITH DISABILITIES, UH, WHERE THE CONTEXT IS IN HOW THEY'RE PROVIDED SERVICES THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREER.
SO BREAKING DOWN THE ZERO THROUGH FOUR, UH, GIVES US A GLANCE INTO WHAT EARLY EDUCATION AND TRANSITION SERVICES LOOK LIKE IN EARLY EDUCATION VERSUS ALL THE WAY TO THE NNR 18 AND UP, UH, UP TO AGE 21 TO 22.
UH, HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE, ARE RECEIVING SERVICES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION? AND WHEN I SPOKE ABOUT STUDENTS HAVING THEIR IEPS, IT IS A STATE REQUIREMENT THAT AT AGE 14 WE HAVE TO ADDRESS ALL STUDENTS TRANSITION PLANS IN THEIR IEP.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 71,000 STUDENTS, UM, NOT 71,000, SORRY, UM, 8,000 STUDENTS TO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PROVIDING PLANS FOR AT THAT TIME AND NEEDING TO KNOW, HAVE STRONGER COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS OF WHAT SERVICES
[00:50:01]
COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS ONCE THEY REACH GRADUATION.BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, IF WE WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL, THAT'S OFTEN TOO LATE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SERVICES AND BE ON LISTS.
AND SO, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING AND OUR SCHOOLS ARE AWARE OF WHAT THOSE SERVICES MAY BE.
AND I'M NOT BY ANY MEANS SAYING THE OUTREACH IS ONE WAY.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY AS, AS ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS SAID EARLIER OF EVERYONE INVOLVED.
IT'S THE COMMUNITY, IT'S THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IT'S, IT'S THE FAMILIES TO BE WELL-INFORMED AND TO COMMUNICATE BECAUSE IT'S ULTIMATELY THE STUDENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON BEHALF OF.
AND WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THAT COMMUNICATION IN THOSE AREAS.
MOVING INTO THAT STATEWIDE DATA, THE NEXT SLIDE, SLIDE SIX IS DIRECTLY RELATED, UH, TO THE GREATER DALLAS AREA DATA.
SO WE'RE LOOKING HERE, YOU CAN SEE, UH, AT APPROXIMATELY 8,000 OF THOSE, UH, OF STUDENTS THAT WILL BE GETTING TRANSITION BOARD MEETINGS, UH, IN THE REGION.
IT'S A LOT OF STUDENTS TO PLAN FOR.
IT'S A LOT OF STUDENTS TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT SERVICES, TO SET UP THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION, HAVE CASEWORKERS IF NEEDED.
AND, UM, IT'S, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE AGE OF 18 AND UP PROGRAMS, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 237 STUDENTS WITH POSSIBLY MORE COMPLEX NEEDS THAT WE WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT IN THE REGION.
UH, DEFINITE TRANSPORTATION, WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES.
HOPEFULLY THEY HAD SOME GUIDE, SOME JOB COACHING IN THEIR SCHOOLS, UH, BUT SOME STRONG CONNECTIONS FOR THE STUDENTS, UM, IN THOSE PROGRAMS. MOVING TO THE NEXT, UM, SLIDE, I THINK IT WOULD BE SLIDE EIGHT.
I DID HEAR SOMEONE MENTION 5 0 4.
AND SO WE'RE, WHEN SPEAKING, UH, WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES COURSE, YOU ADD ON THE CONTEXT OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE 5 0 4 ACCOMMODATION PLANS AS WELL, WHO WILL NEED ACCESS SERVICES UPON GRADUATION.
ALSO, THAT ADDS AN EXTRA 400,152 STUDENTS ACROSS THE, THE STATE TO THE 775 PLUS THOUSAND STUDENTS, SO MANY, MANY STUDENTS IN NEED OF SERVICES AND, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESS TO THOSE SERVICES.
WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASE, UM, OF ABOUT 10% SINCE, UH, 2018, 2019 IN THE NUMBER.
AND AS THIS SLIDE INDICATES, ALMOST ONE FOURTH OF THE STUDENT POPULATION IN TEXAS, UH, HAVE SEC, UH, SECTION 5 0 4 ACCOMMODATIONS.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT DISABILITY AND BREAKDOWN OF DISABILITY, WE DO TRACK, UM, IN THE STATE.
SO THE TOP DISABILITY, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WOULD BE SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY.
WE HAVE, AS YOU CAN SEE, A LITTLE OVER, UH, 277 7,000, UH, STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY.
WE ARE AT AN INCREASE OF 2.2%.
WE ARE IN A DECREASE OF SPEECH LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT, BUT STILL IT IS THE SECOND LEADING DISABILITY.
WE HAVE 13 DISABILITY CATEGORIES IN, IN THE STATE, UH, FOR CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH AUTISM HAS INCREASED BY 0.7%.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE REST OF, OF THE CURRENT PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH DISABILITIES.
AS WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE BREAK THAT DOWN TO YOUR SPECIFIC REGION AND REGION 10, THERE'S A FLIP.
UM, STUDENTS IDENTIFIED IN REGION 10, UH, STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH AUTISM IN REGION 10 ARE ACTUALLY HIGHER, UH, THAN THE, THAN THE STATE AVERAGE.
AND SO, UH, IN THE STATE SPEECH LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT IS SECOND, BUT IN YOUR PARTICULAR REGION, STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH AUTISM RANKS SECOND AMONG THOSE, THOSE AVERAGES IN COMPARISON TO THE NATION.
UM, WE ARE SPOT ON WITH THE NUMBERS IN THE NATION WITH THE EXCEPTION, I'M SORRY THAT I'M JUST KINDA ADDING THIS, BUT YOU CAN STAY HERE.
WE, UM, WE TEND TO HAVE, UH, STUDENT MORE STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH AUTISM RATHER THAN OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT.
AND IN THE NATION, AUTISM, UH, STUDENTS IDENTIFY WITH AUTISM AND OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT ARE FLIPPED.
SO OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT IS HIGHER IN THE NATIONAL AVERAGES.
ONE OF THE THINGS IN TEXAS THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN ACROSS THE NATION IS THAT WELL OVER HALF OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS SPEND 80% OR MORE TIME IN GENERAL EDUCATION.
WE DO ADDRESS LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ACCESS IN OUR ARD MEETINGS.
UM, AND SO IN COMPARISON TO THE NATION, WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS IN LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENTS THAN ACROSS THE NATION.
[00:55:05]
WHAT I'LL DO NOW, AND UM, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THERE COULD BE SOME LEGAL UPDATES.I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
UH, WE GET A, WE WORK, UM, TO HEAR FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND WHAT I'LL TALK ABOUT HERE ACTUALLY, TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE CODE OR WHAT WE CALL COMMISSIONER RULES.
UH, THESE COMMISSIONER RULES CAN BE, WE TAKE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, THE COMMISSIONER RULES, UM, WE PROPOSE THOSE RULES.
THEY GO INTO THE TEXAS REGISTRY.
I WOULD SAY ANNUALLY IF THERE ARE CHANGES RECOMMENDED, THOSE, THOSE ITEMS GO INTO THE TEXAS REGISTRY AND POST PUBLICLY TYPICALLY AROUND MAY, APRIL, MAY, JUNE IS THE TIMEFRAME THEY POST FOR 60 DAYS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE THEN TAKE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT AND EITHER ACCEPT AND MAKE CHANGES OR WE DO NOT ACCEPT AND GIVE REASON WHY.
AND SO, UM, MANY, MANY, UH, T CHANGES THIS YEAR.
AND COMMISSIONER RULE PROBABLY, I'VE WORKED AT THE AGENCY FOR THE STARTING MY SEVENTH YEAR AND THIS IS THE LARGEST BATCH OF RULE CHANGES AND CLEANUPS, UM, IN THIS CHAPTER 89 OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD.
AND SO GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL DO THESE BRIEFLY, UM, AND THEN I DO HAVE A LINK AT THE BACK WHERE YOU CAN HAVE AN EASIER ACCESS TO THEM IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
THE FIRST ONE, UM, WOULD BE PARENTAL RIGHTS.
THERE WERE ACTUALLY SOME DATES IN THE PARENTAL RIGHTS THAT MADE IT LOOK LIKE THERE COULD BE A POSSIBLE EXPIRATION OF THOSE DATE WITH THOSE DATES OF THOSE RIGHTS.
AND, AND THERE THAT IS NOT ACCURATE.
SO WE HAD TO GO IN AND CLEAN UP AND DELETE ANY OF THOSE OUTDATED TEXTS OF DATES SO THAT IT WASN'T CONFUSION.
THERE WAS NO CONFUSION ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.
UM, THERE WERE CHANGES TO EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES CLARIFYING, UH, AND MAKING IT VERY CLEAR THAT STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER STILL HAVE THE SAME ESY SERVICES RECOMMENDED FROM THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT THE ART COMMITTEE HAD TO CONSIDER ESY AT EVERY ANNUAL IEP MEETING.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR, UM, OF COURSE THAT IS IF ANY STUDENT IS NOT ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OR COULD HAVE REGRESSION AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RECOUP ON THEIR IEP GOALS, THAT THEY DO MAINTAIN AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS WITHOUT REGRESSION THAT COULD NOT BE RECOUPED ON THEIR IEP GOALS.
UM, AND THEN TO CLARIFY, THE ACQUIRED PROGRESS HAS TO BE DOCUMENTED.
WE WERE FINDING MANY, UM, IEPS THAT DID, DID NOT DOCUMENT ADEQUATE PROGRESS FOR STUDENTS' IEPS.
AND SO IT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE RULES THAT IT MUST BE THERE.
AND MY OFFICE ALSO DOES THE MONITORING OF THE IEPS.
UM, THE NEXT RULE IS THAT, UH, THE SERVICE CENTERS, THAT ONE IS NOT AS IMPORTANT TO YOU, BUT IT IS THERE FULL INDIVIDUAL, UH, AND INITIAL EVALUATION, IT WOULD IDENTIFY THAT THE PRINCIPAL AS, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF A DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR EMPLOYEE WE'RE BASICALLY CALLING OUT HERE WHO HAS TO BE PRESENT TO HAVE AN ARD MEETING.
AND, UM, ALSO THAT AN ART MEETING IF THE 30TH CALENDAR DAY FALLS IN THE SUMMER AND SCHOOL IS NOT IN SESSION, THE ART COMMITTEE MEETS NO LATER THAN THE 15TH DAY OF SCHOOL.
THE OLD RULE WAS THAT THE ART COMMITTEE HAD TO MEET IN THE SUMMER.
WHAT WE HEARD FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS IS THAT WE COULD NOT GET ADEQUATE ARD MEETINGS IN THE SUMMER WITH RELATIVE PERSONNEL WHO KNEW THE STUDENT TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS.
AND FORCING AN ART COMMITTEE MEETING IN THE SUMMER WAS NOT ALWAYS IN THE STUDENT'S BEST INTEREST.
SO RATHER THAN DO THAT, WE GAVE 15 DAYS SO THAT THEY HAD TIME TO HAVE A RELEVANT ART COMMITTEE, BUT THOSE WHO COULD BE THE DECISION MAKERS FOR THE STUDENT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE COPY OF THE WRITTEN REPORT MUST BE PROVIDED TO THE PARENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER COMPLETION, BUT NO LATER THAN FIVE SCHOOL DAYS PRIOR TO THE INITIAL ART COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND SO WE PUT INTO A RULE THAT REQUIREMENT OF MAKING SURE THAT THIS INFORMATION, UH, WAS GETTING TO THE PARENT.
UM, THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE DETERMINATION OF AUTISM.
UH, STAKEHOLDERS LET US KNOW THERE, THEY FELT THERE WAS A BARRIER TO DIAGNOSES THAT COULD OCCUR.
SO THE DETERMINATION OF AUTISM CANNOT REQUIRE THAT THE STUDENT MEET THE REQUIREMENT FOR MEDICAL, UH, PSYCHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OR THE ABSENCE OF THE OTHER CHARACTERISTIC.
OFFICE ASSOCIATED WITH AUTISM LISTED IS NOT AN EXCLUSIONARY OF MEETING DISABILITY.
AND IT WAS HAPPENING AT ONE POINT THAT, AND SO WE'RE CALLING OUT IN THIS RULE THAT THAT CANNOT OCCUR.
THERE WERE JUST SOME MINOR WORD CHANGES, UH, IN THE DEAF BLINDNESS IDENTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY.
AND IN THE DEAF OR HEART OF HEARING, THERE WAS THE DELETION OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR AN ONTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION.
ADDING THE REQUIREMENT FOR COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENT INSTEAD OF AMPLIFICATION.
[01:00:01]
THE TERM HAS BEEN CHANGED TO HEARING ASSISTED TECHNOLOGY.ADDING A CHILD UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE MEETS THE CRITERIA.
IF THE STUDENT'S RECORD INDICATES THE CHILD IS EXPERIENCING A DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY BECAUSE OF HEARING LOSS OR IMPAIRMENT, OR THE CHILD HAS A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CONDITION THAT HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF RESULTING IN A DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY AND SENSORY IMPAIRMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH 34 CFR, THIS IS A DEFINITE CHANGE TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND IDENTIFICATION.
UM, FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE CONSIDERED DEAF OR HARDER HEARING, OR DHH, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
YOU WILL NO LONGER HEAR EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE.
IT IS NOW CONSIDERED EMOTIONAL DISABILITY DISTURBANCE WILL BE STRICKEN.
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY DID NOT HAVE CHANGES.
MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE DISABILITIES DID CHANGE TO ALIGN COMPLETELY WITH THE FEDERAL DEFINITION.
THE STATE DEFINITION DID NOT ALIGN.
ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT NOW, UH, ACCEPTS THE DIAGNOSIS PROVIDED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN.
IT DID, BUT THERE WAS A STATEMENT THAT THE PHYSICIAN HAD TO BE A MEMBER OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM.
THEY NO LONGER HAVE TO BE PART OF AN MDT.
THEIR DETERMINATION AND DIAGNOSIS IS ACCEPTED AND THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT.
NO LONGER DOES THE PHYSICIAN HAVE TO BE PART OF THE MDT AND THE PROVIDERS CAN CONTINUE TO BE A PHYSICIAN, A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR ADVANCED PRACTITIONER, NURSE PRACTITIONER.
NEXT PLEASE AND SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY HAD MANY CHANGES.
UM, BUT THOSE CHANGES PRIMARILY WERE CHANGES WITH THE DYSLEXIA LAWS.
AND SO CHANGES TO REFER TO AREAS OF WRITTEN EXPRESSION, POTENTIALLY INCLUDING DYSGRAPHIA AND BASIC READING SKILLS AND READING FLUENCY SKILLS AND POTENTIALLY DYSLEXIA WERE ALL ADDED TO THE SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY.
UM, UH, ELIGIBILITY AND THEN ADDING A SUBSECTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SUSPICIONS OF DYSLEXIA WERE INCLUDED TO REFERENCE AND REQUIRED DYSLEXIA PROFESSIONALS AS A MEMBER OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM AND THE ART COMMITTEE.
AND THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO SPEECH IMPAIRMENT.
UH, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY MUST INCLUDE A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN IT PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED AS PART OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM.
AGAIN, NO LONGER HAS TO BE PART OF A TEAM, JUST THE PHYSICIAN DIAGNOSIS AND THEN VISUAL IMPAIRMENT ADDED.
A CHILD UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE DOES MEET CRITERIA.
IF THE CHILD'S RECORD INDICATES A CHILD IS EXPERIENCING A DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY BECAUSE OF VISION LOSS OR IMPAIRMENT, OR THE CHILD HAS A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CONDITION, UH, THAT HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF RESULTING IN A DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY OR SENSORY IMPAIRMENT.
SO THAT AGAIN, REMOVES A BARRIER OF THE AGE DIFFERENTIAL.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES, UH, IN THE FIELD WOULD BE THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE FOR WHAT WE'VE HAD AS A CATEGORY OF NON CATEGORICAL EARLY CHILDHOOD.
THAT TERM DOES NOT EXIST IN FEDERAL.
YOU MAY KNOW THAT AS DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY.
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY, UM, UH, SO IT'S A CHILD WHO'S BETWEEN THE AGES OF THREE AND FIVE WAS NON CATEGORICAL EARLY CHILDHOOD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS PREVIOUSLY.
AND THOSE, UH, STUDENTS HAD TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH ONE OF FOUR, UH, SUSPECTED AREAS OF DISABILITY, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, EMOTIONAL DISABILITY LEARNING DISABILITY, OR STUDENT WITH AUTISM.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE CHANGED THAT IN TEXAS.
WE NO LONGER HAVE NON CATEGORICAL EARLY CHILDHOOD.
IT IS NOW DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY TO ALIGN WITH THE FEDERAL DEFINITION.
AND WE HAVE EXTENDED THE YEARS BEYOND FIVE TO NINE, UH, IN ALIGNMENT ALSO WITH THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENT.
SO NO DISTRICT WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE, UM, THE DEFINITION FOR THE FIRST YEAR.
SO WE'LL HAVE A TRANSITION, BUT BEGINNING IN 20 FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT BEGINNING IN 25, 26, NO LONGER CAN A STUDENT BE DETERMINED, ELIGIBLE UNDER NON CATEGORICAL EARLY CHILDHOOD.
WE WILL ALIGN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY WITH FEDERAL, UH, DISABILITIES.
I THINK THAT THAT, GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
CONCLUDES THE BULK OF OUR, UH OH.
THE MISSION REVIEW AND DISMISSAL COMMITTEE.
WE ADD THAT THE DYSLEXIA PROFESSIONALISM MEMBER, I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER IN THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM, ADDED INFORMATION ABOUT MEASURABLE AND ANNUAL GOALS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AND REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE STAR ALT TWO PARTICIPATION FORM TO A STUDENT'S IEP, VARIOUS EDITS TO THE SECTION DESCRIBING, DESCRIBING HOW TO UTILIZE AND WHAT'S REQUIRED IN THE AUTISM SUPPLEMENT.
WE ADDED IF A STUDENT IS IDENTIFIED WITH SLD SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY OF DYSLEXIA OR RELATED DISORDER, THAT THEY MUST BE DEVELOPED
[01:05:01]
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HANDBOOK FOR INSTRUCTION.AND WE ALIGNED FEDERAL AND STATE TRANSITION REQUIREMENTS TO BE NO LATER THAN THE FIRST IEP, IN EFFECT WHEN A STUDENT TURNS 14.
AND YOU'VE HEARD ME MENTION THAT.
AND WE ADDRESS STUDENTS WHO ENROLL OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS IN THE IEP.
UM, AND THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS TRANSITION IS 16.
THIS, UH, BUT TEXAS REQUIRES THIS TO BE DONE AT 14.
UH, QUALIFICATIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RELATED SERVICE AND PARAPROFESSIONAL, UH, IS ADDED THAT A PROVIDER OF DYSLEXIA INSTRUCTION DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A CERTIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATOR UNLESS THE PROVIDER'S EMPLOYED IN A SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITION THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION.
AND WE DELETED SOME OUTDATED LANGUAGE AND CLARIFIED WHAT EDUCATIONAL AIDS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS WERE REQUIRED TO DO.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER WALTZ NEXT, THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT DOES HAVE A QR CODE.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN READING THESE OR LOOKING INTO THESE, UM, MORE EXPLICITLY, THIS IS AN EASIER READ.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD ACCESS TO THIS.
OKAY, I'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE, WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO TRANSITION.
A FEW THINGS I WANNA CALL OUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SOME, SOME AMENDMENTS, 89 1 0 0 5.
UH, IT SPECIFIES THAT AN INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENT AND SETTING, INCLUDING INCLUDES VOCATIONAL ADJUSTMENT LANGUAGE.
AND 89.075, WE ADDED LANGUAGE FROM STATUTE TO REFLECT REQUIRED TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS THAT ARE DESIGNATED TRANSITION SPECIALISTS, WE DO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO NOW HAVE A DEDICATED TRANSITION SPECIALIST THAT HAS TO TAKE A SPECIFIC TRAINING IN 89.100055.
WE SPECIFY THAT THE CONTENT OF AN IEP MUST INCLUDE HARD REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSITION PLANNING.
UM, BUT I SAID 14, WHAT WE USED TO DO AS A STATE BEFORE THIS CHANGE, WE DID ADDRESS CERTAIN THINGS AT 14 OTHER THINGS AT 16, EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE ADDRESSED AT 16 IS ALSO REQUIRED TO BE ADDRESSED AT 14.
SO NOW THERE'S NO MORE DELAY IN ADDRESSING CERTAIN THINGS.
SO ALL TRANSITION ELEMENTS, REGARDLESS IF IT'S FEDERAL 16, EVERYTHING IS REQUIRED NOW AT 14 IN TEXAS TO BE ADDRESSED FOR TRANSITION.
AND IN 89.1071, YOU MUST SPECIFY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.
I DID HEAR ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS MENTION THIS ABOUT THE IEP AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS MORE ABOUT COURSEWORK, BUT ALSO IT IS ALWAYS NEED TO ADDRESS ANY ACCOMMODATIONS OR NEEDS, UH, FOR GRADUATION TO BE DOCUMENTED AND CLEARLY SUPPORTED IN THE IEP.
I'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT, INTO SOME RESOURCES.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF GREAT THINGS BEING SHARED TODAY ABOUT RESOURCES.
I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A FEW MORE.
UH, I'LL MOVE INTO THE NEXT SLIDE AT POLICE SLIDE 25.
WE, UH, SINCE THE SCAPE, UH, THE LANDSCAPE OF TEXAS IS SO GRAND.
UM, WE HAVE, LIKE I SAID, 20 EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTERS.
WE HAVE OVER 1,217 LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES, WHICH WOULD BE DISTRICTS AND CHARTERS, AND TO GET INFORMATION TO PARENTS AND FAMILIES.
AT ONE POINT, WE HAD INFORMATION ALL OVER WEBSITES, DIFFERENT WEBSITES, HARD TO GET TO.
SO WE STOOD UP A STRATEGY OF THINKING, HOW DO WE REACH OUR EDUCATORS AND HOW DO WE REACH OUR FAMILIES? AND, UM, WE, WE HAVE TWO PRIMARY OUTLETS NOW FOR THAT.
OUR TEXAS SPED SUPPORT, WHICH YOU SEE HERE, HAS ALL, ALL OF OUR, UM, INFORMATION FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
IT'S ALL SEARCHABLE BY AUDIENCE TYPE.
IT'S PRIMARILY EDUCATORS, WEBINARS, GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS, BUT DEFINITELY PARENTS CAN UTILIZE THIS TOO.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WEBSITE.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE RESOURCES.
THE RESOURCES ALSO HAVE QR CODES.
WE HAVE A LINK SO THAT THEY CAN BE EASILY, UH, ACCESSED.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE TOPICS HERE THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK I'M, I HAVE ONLY LIKE TWO TO THREE MINUTES, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I RESPECT THE TIME AND JUST KIND OF, WE BUILT THIS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT THIS WEBSITE HAS ACTUALLY GONE NATIONWIDE.
AND THIS HEAT MAP HAS SHOWN US THAT WE HAVE MANY OTHER STATES ACCESSING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES THAT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING AND PUTTING TOGETHER.
UM, AND I HOPE THEY'RE HELPING MANY OTHER STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ACROSS THE NATION.
THIS IS OUR PARENT RESOURCE CENTER.
[01:10:01]
SPED TEXT IS A WONDERFUL RESOURCE.IT IS PHONE SUPPORT, CHAT SUPPORT, EMAIL SUPPORT.
YOU CAN SIGN UP TO GET UPDATES, CALENDARS, ANYTHING YOU NEED, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD.
AND IF YOU HAD QUESTIONS TO FIND, IEP FACILITATORS, HOW DO YOU FIND SOMETHING? IF I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S ARD, UM, YOU THINK SOMETHING'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT AND YOU NEED HELP, UM, THIS IS WHAT THIS, THIS RESOURCE IS FOR.
UM, ANOTHER THING JUST TO KIND OF KEEP IN THE COMMUNITY, WE TRY TO DO OUTREACH FOR, UH, STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT IT FEDERALLY, BUT BEYOND THAT, UH, WE REALLY DO TRY TO SEEK OUT INFORMATION.
SO SPED TECHS MAKES CALLS TO ALL OF OUR GRADUATES TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHERE THEY'RE WORKING, SO THAT WE CAN BETTER NAVIGATE OUR GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES ACROSS THE STATE.
BUT THIS IS SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT INFORMATION TO OBTAIN.
WE OFTENTIMES ARE UNABLE TO GET THIS INFORMATION.
SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS IS A BIG COMMUNITY PIECE THAT IS SO HELPFUL TO US AS A STATE, AND IT'S SOME OF THE HARDEST INFORMATION TO GET FROM OUR PARENTS.
SO SPED TEXT IS TRYING TO GATHER THAT FOR US.
UH, WE HAVE A TEXAS TRANSITION AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDE.
UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, IT'S, IT'S VERY HELPFUL.
IT ALSO, UH, WE HAVE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IN THIS GUIDE.
WE HAVE VIDEOS TO HELP SUPPORT.
WE ALSO HAVE INTERVIEWS FROM FORMER STUDENTS WHO HAVE GIVEN US FEEDBACK ON HOW TRANSITION TRANSITION SERVICES HAVE IMPROVED THEIR LIVES AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT HAD MADE FROM THEM, UH, IN THEIR SELF-ADVOCACY AND WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF DOCUMENTS AGAIN FOR TRANSITION PLANNING.
AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE WEBINARS.
I WON'T BELABOR THAT IT IS THERE FOR YOU TO REFERENCE.
AND NEXT, JUST AGAIN, THEY'RE FREE ONLINE COURSES, UH, FOR WRITING GOALS, AND THAT CAN BE ACCESSED FOR OUR EDUCATORS.
PARENTS CAN ALSO ACCESS THEM IF THEY WANTED TO BE PART OF KNOWING WHAT A STRONG GOAL AND HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE GOAL GOALS FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR CHILDREN ARE.
WE ALSO HAVE WHAT IS CALLED PARENT DIRECTED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS A $1,500 ONE-TIME GRANT.
ANY PARENT, UH, CAN REGISTER FOR THIS GRANT.
UM, AND YOU CAN USE IT FOR ANY MATERIALS TO SUPPORT YOUR, UH, THE STUDENT'S.
AND THIS IS MONEY THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILY.
IT DOES NOT GO TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT IS MONIES THAT GO DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILY FOR THE STUDENT.
APPLICATION WINDOW FOR THIS OPENS FEBRUARY 3RD, 2025.
IT'S A GREAT THING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO KNOW.
AND IF ANYONE WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT, WE RUN THIS THROUGH OUR SPED TEXT PARENT INFORMATION PORTAL ALSO, AND WE TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT.
WE DO COMMERCIALS ON THIS AND REALLY DO A GOOD STRONG MEDIA CAMPAIGN, UH, FOR PARENTS TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION.
JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, RESOURCE UPDATES.
UH, WE, I SAID WE UPDATED THE TRANSITION SPECIALIST, UH, THE REQUIRED TED TRAINING.
WE HAVE, UH, UPDATED OUR EMPLOYMENT GUIDE THIS SUMMER.
WE HAD A WATCH FOR THE, WE, IT SAYS WATCH FOR.
WE HAVE A DRIVING DISABILITY RESOURCE THAT WAS PUBLISHED, AND WE HAVE UPDATES NOW TO THE D UH, DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING RESOURCE FOR THE PARENTS.
ARD GUIDE IS NOW IN A SL AND IS AVAILABLE IN A SL.
UM, I KNOW THIS IS VERY SPEEDY RESOURCE.
I KNOW I HEARD YOU SAY RIGHTS LAW.
UM, WE HAVE A P UH, IT'S CALLED PARENT RESOURCE NETWORK.
IT'S PRN TEXAS.ORG AND PRN TEXAS DOT.ORG.
PRN IS A NONPROFIT AGENCY THAT OPERATES THE FEDERALLY FUNDED TEXAS PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMATION CENTERS.
AND IN REGION 10, IT'S ACTUALLY CALLED PACT, UH, PACT IN REGION 10 FOR YOUR AREA.
UM, PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE OVER THE PHONE AND IN PERSON WORKSHOPS AND WEBINARS ON A VARIETY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TOPICS AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS.
AND IT IS FREE, AND IT IS OUR REQUIRED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER THAT IS PAID FOR BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND YOURS IS ACTUALLY CALLED THE PARENT TRAINING.
UH, IT'S CALLED PACT THE PACT PROJECT, BUT IT'S PARENT TRAINING AND INFORMATION CENTER IN YOUR AREA.
I, UH, CAN ALWAYS CONTACT, UM, I, I CAN,
[01:15:01]
I, YOU HAVE MY INFORMATION.YOU, UM, FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT WITH THE COMMISSION IF THERE'S EVER A QUESTION OR I CAN GUIDE ANYONE TO ANY RESOURCES.
WE ARE DEFINITELY HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT AT THE, AT THE AGENCY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. ALEXANDER, FOR THIS INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
UM, OUR COMMISSION HAS LEARNED, UH, AND GAINED A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION.
AND I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR FAMILIES TO BE WELL-INFORMED ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AS PARENTS AND BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN ACCORDINGLY.
I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS REGARDING THE TRANSITION PLANS.
SO FOR THOSE STUDENTS, LET'S SAY, WHO WENT, WHO WISH TO TRANSITION INTO HIGHER EDUCATION AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL? UM, WHAT, COULD YOU ELABORATE FURTHER ON THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN THE TRANSITION PLANS? UM, IS IT ENCOURAGED FOR STUDENTS TO ESSENTIALLY GET THEIR FEET WET SO THAT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO COLLEGE, THEY'RE NOT, UM, STRUGGLING? LIKE THEY ALREADY KNOW WHAT COLLEGE LIFE IS LIKE? SO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES OFFERED, UM, BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M REFERRING TO THOSE WHO ARE TALENTED AND WELL GIFTED, UM, WHO ARE, WHOSE INTELLECTUAL LEVELS ARE REALLY HIGH.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL OF A SUDDEN BEING PUSHED TO LOWER LEVEL COURSES WHERE THEY'RE EXPECTED TO DO LESS.
SO THAT'S ONE AREA I WISH TO ADDRESS.
AND ANOTHER AREA OR QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS, LET'S SAY THAT A PARENT DISAGREES WITH THE, ONCE THE FULL INDIVIDUAL EVA EVALUATION IS COMPLETED AND THE TEACHER WRITES A REPORT, IF THE PARENT DISAGREES WITH THAT REPORT, IS THERE A WAY THAT THEY COULD APPEAL IT? UH, OR WHAT'S THE GRIEVANCE PROCESS FOR THAT? RIGHT.
I'LL, I'LL ANSWER BOTH OF THOSE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, A STUDENT'S, IEP OF COURSE IS AN
UM, ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS? UM, UM, COMMISSIONER CHRISTINA POWAY HERE.
UH, SO, UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE ARD MEETING, AND EVEN THOUGH WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE ACRONYM, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND.
IT MEANS ANNUAL REVIEW DECISION.
A PARENT CAN REQUEST IN THEIR DISTRICT, THEIR PROSPECTIVE DISTRICT FOR THEIR CHILD, UM, UP TO THREE DATES AND TIME.
DO NOT LEAVE IT JUST AMONGST THE SCHOOL TO SAY, COME ON A MONDAY.
BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE OTHER CHILDREN AND A JOB, YOU CAN LET THEM KNOW, UM, WHAT TIME THAT YOU ARE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY THEY CAN COLLABORATE WITH YOU.
I, I'VE NEVER HAD THAT ISSUE IN REQUESTING, UM, THE MEETING ALSO NUMBER TWO, I'M SORRY, I DON'T, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M SO SORRY.
SO WE'RE GONNA START, I'M GONNA ALLOW YOU, SINCE YOU'RE, NOW YOU'RE BACK, WE'LL GO TO ME IN A MINUTE, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THE CHAIR'S QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, UM, WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE STUDENT'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN IS ALWAYS THEIR INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN.
SO IF WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THAT STUDENT AND THE, AND THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THAT PARTICULAR STUDENT, THEIR, THEIR COURSE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE DESIGNED AROUND THAT.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE RELEGATED NOR FORCED TO TAKE ANYTHING LOWER THAN EXPECTATION.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE PARENT ADVOCACY AND THE FULL SUPPORT OF KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE PART OF THAT TRANSITION PLANNING BECOMES SO CRITICAL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT PIECE IS, SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT TRANSITION AND PLAN THAT BEGINS ON KNOWING YOUR STUDENT'S ACCOMMODATIONS, WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WHAT THEY'VE TAKEN, WHERE THEY STRUGGLE DOES IS THE IEP.
RIGHT? AND IF THEIR PLAN IS TO GO TO COLLEGE, THEN THEY SHOULD BE PREPPING FOR THAT.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD BE PREPPING FOR AND FOR ACCOMMODATIONS TO DO.
SO, IF THEY'RE NEEDED, UM, THERE'S
[01:20:01]
A WAY THAT MANY STUDENTS CAN HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS ON THEIR SAT, UM, AND THEIR A CT, YOU CAN REQUEST THOSE.OUR COMMITTEE SHOULD MAKE THOSE, HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
YOU CAN ALSO, WHEN I WAS AN EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN AND I, I WOULD CONTACT THE COLLEGES AND ASK WHAT THEY REQUIRED.
MANY STUDENTS HAVE TO ASK FOR THEIR OWN ACCOMMODATIONS.
THEY WILL NOT OFTEN TALK ABOUT TO THE PARENTS.
UM, AND SO ALSO TRAINING STUDENTS TO BE SELF-ADVOCATES, WHAT TO ASK FOR, UM, THAT IS ALL PART OF THAT TRANSITION PLANNING.
SO IF A PARENT DISAGREES, A PARENT CAN ALWAYS DISAGREE.
UM, THEN YOU GO INTO A 10 DAY RECESS AND THAT 10 DAY RECESS, YOU TRY TO MEDIATE WHAT THE DISAGREEMENT WAS.
IF YOU CANNOT REMEDIATE THAT DISAGREEMENT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT THEY'VE RECOMMENDED WHEN YOU RECONVENE.
YOU HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A DISAGREEMENT ARD TRY TO RESOLVE IT.
YOU COME BACK TO THE YARD MEETING.
IF YOU DO NOT RESOLVE THAT, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAY, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT RESOLUTION, AND THEY JUST DOCUMENT THAT THE PARENT DISAGREED, BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO, THEN THE PARENT CAN FILE THROUGH DUE DUE PROCESS FOR MEDIATION AND GO THE DUE PROCESS ROUTE BECAUSE THE PARENT DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO FILE DUE PROCESS AT ANY TIME.
I HOPE THAT HELPS ANSWER THE QUESTION.
DR. ALEXANDER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
REAL QUICK, THIS IS COMMISSIONER BALLOU.
CAN I JUST JUMP IN AND CLARIFY SOMETHING REAL QUICK? ABSOLUTELY.
ARD A RD, UH, STANDS FOR ADMISSION REVIEW AND DISMISSAL.
NOT ANNUAL REVIEW DECISION, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR.
WELL, I'VE, AND LEGALLY, TECHNICALLY, AN A RD IS AN ADMISSION REVIEW AND DISMISSAL MEETING IN TEXAS.
THAT IS THE ONLY PLA PLACES IT EXISTS.
IN OTHER STATES IT'S AN IEP MEETING.
THE BUT THE ARD FOR CLARIFICATION RESULTS IN THE IEP INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLAN, CORRECT? YES.
SO FOR REFERENCE, YEAH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER POWAY.
IT, WE HAVE USED TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY FOR BOTH OF MY STUDENTS.
I HAVE DOCUMENTATION WHERE IT INDICATES BOTH, BUT THANK YOU FOR JUMPING IN.
I'VE NEVER HEARD THE OTHER, ACTUALLY, FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE, I'VE MAY NEVER.
BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE HISTORY, I JUST, IN YOUR DISTRICT HISTORY DOCUMENTATION, I'M TELLING YOU, WHICH IS TO MY POINTS OF MY FIVE POINTS, THAT'S CONFUSING.
NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S CONFUSING.
IT'S NOT CONFUSING FOR ME, BUT I WANNA GET TO MY POINT, RIGHT? SO, UM, AS AGAIN, NUMBER ONE, A PARENT CAN REQUEST DATES AND TIMES FOR THE A RD MEETING REGARDLESS, LEGALLY, OR WHATEVER THAT IS BEING CALLED
IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, PARENTS DO HAVE A RIGHT.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES IN OUR DALLAS SCHOOLS, THEY FORCE A DATE AND TIME WITHOUT GIVING THE PARENT THE CONSIDERATION OF THEIR TIME AND OF THE STUDENT'S TIME TO BE AVAILABLE TO BE IN PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE MEETING.
SO PARENTS MAY NOT KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THAT.
AND ALSO, TO YOUR POINT, A LOT OF TIMES THE REMAINDER OF THE COMMITTEE OR THE ADMINISTRATORS DON'T INFORM THE PARENT OF THAT.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE INFORMATION OVERLOAD TO PARENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE A DISABILITY, THEY DO HAVE TO DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO READ THIS INFORMATION AND ASK QUESTIONS.
AND SOMETIMES WHEN THEY ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, THE PEOPLE WHO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION, EVEN FROM TEA, DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER.
UM, NUMBER TWO, WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING AND, AND GAVE US AN INDICATION, AND FIRST THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION, IT IS VERY THOROUGH.
UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE DATA FOR TEXAS HAVING THE MOST STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, COULD IT BE THAT THESE NUMBERS WERE REPORTED ACCURATELY? BECAUSE I WILL SAY THIS, MY YOUNGEST SON GRADUATED MAY OF 2023, HE'S NOW A SECOND YEAR COLLEGE STUDENT.
UM, DALLAS, ISD WAS NOT SENDING THE SPED TEXT.
MY FIRST SPED TEXT FROM DALLAS ISD WAS THIS YEAR ON AUGUST THE SECOND.
AND IT IS A QUICK SURVEY TO ASK IF THE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE, IF THEY'RE WORKING, WHAT THEIR DISABILITY IS, WHAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I DID HAVE A MEETING WITH DALLAS, ISD, AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THIS DATA.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT ALL DISTRICTS OR ALL SCHOOLS, UM, IN TEXAS, MORE SO SPECIFICALLY, AGAIN, BECAUSE CITY OF DALLAS, UH, DALLAS, ISD, UM, EVEN A N BOARD MEMBER THAT I AM, WE ARE.
NOT ALL DISTRICTS ARE RECEIVING THOSE SPED TECHS.
[01:25:01]
SOME RESEARCH, AND I WILL SAY THIS, IN 2021 AND 2022, UM, TEXAS WAS ALLOCATED $434 BILLION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. BUT IN JANUARY OF 2024, UM, TA T EXCUSE ME, TEA LOST HER FINAL APPEAL OF A FEDERAL, UM, AUDIT, UM, WITH TEXAS SCHOOLS, EXCUSE ME, LOSING MY VOICE.UM, BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS WERE INCORRECTLY MEDICALLY CODING THE SERVICES.
SO A LOT OF STUDENTS WERE NOT RECEIVING SERVICES, BUT THEY WERE SAYING THEY'RE RECEIVING SERVICES.
AND THEN THEY WERE OVERBILLING AND OVERPAYMENTS, WHICH REDUCED THE SPED FUNDING FROM 700 MILLION TO 300 MILLION.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT TEXAS HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, IS THAT, OR IS THAT, IS IT, OR IS IT NOT ACCURATE? BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS KIND OF SUPER FLUOROUS TO ME.
THAT IS REPORTED IN PS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO ALL STUDENTS RECORDS WHO ARE IN THE ASSIST, WHICH IS THEIR, THEIR SYSTEM, THOSE ARE REPORTED WHEN THEY FINISH THEIR ARD MEETINGS, THEY WERE REQUIRED TO PUT THEIR DATA IN IF THEIR PRIMARY DISABILITY.
AND IT ALSO GOES TO THE FEDERAL REPORT.
SO THOSE NUMBERS COME FROM DIRECTLY FROM THE PS CODING AND THE PS REPORTING IN THEIR SYSTEMS TO US FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT ABOUT SPED, YOU DIDN'T GET THE SPED TECHS, SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN YOU SAID THAT WITH DATA.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I MEANT BY THE TECHS.
WHAT IS REPORTED POST GRADUATION? WELL, I MEAN, YOU SAID DATA, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU MEANT THE DATA AND THE SPED TECHS, BUT, SO IF DISTRICTS ARE REPORTING THEIR DATA ACCURATELY, SO I WILL SAY THAT, WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT BOTH AND INVALIDATE DATA.
SO WAIT, SO HOLD ON SO THAT WE'RE NOT CONFUSED.
LET'S, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT BOTH DATA, PERIOD.
SO NUMBER ONE, THE DATA FOR TEXAS HAVING THE MOST STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE BASED ON THE FACT THAT IT'S INDICATING THAT, UM, THE SCHOOLS WERE INCORRECTLY CODING MEDICAL SERVICES.
UM, ALSO, NOW THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING.
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT THE SAME THING, BUT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PARTS.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CODE, A AUTISM IS A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL PHYSICIAN, YOU HAVE A DIAGNOSTICIAN, NOT A ACTUAL, UH, DEVELOPMENTAL, UM, PHYSICIAN DIAGNOSING, UNLESS THE PARENT HAS BOTH.
SOME PARENTS DON'T GO TO THE PHYSICIAN AND THEY SHOULD BECAUSE MEDICAL TRUMPS EDUCATION.
BUT IN THE SCHOOLS, TO YOUR POINT, IF THEY HAD THE EDUCATION DIAGNOSIS, THEN YEAH, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE THOSE SERVICES.
BUT IF IT'S, AND I'M NOT DISCOUNTING THAT THE CHILD DOESN'T HAVE AUTISM, BUT IF THEY'RE BEING MISDIAGNOSED AND THERE'S OVERPAYMENTS, THERE ARE A LOT OF PARENTS WHO HAVE GRIEVANCES INDICATING THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE NOT RECEIVING THE SERVICES.
BUT THE SECOND PART WAS TO YOUR MENTION OF THE SPED TAX OF RECEIVING IT FOR POST-GRADUATION.
AND I'M INFORMING YOU THAT IN DALLAS ISD, WE WERE NOT RECEIVING IT.
WELL, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE DO PUSH FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO HAVE IT ON THEIR WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE THE PARENTS ARE INFORMED.
IT'S SUPPOSED, IT'S ON THE BACK OF THE RIGHTS.
SPED TEXT IS LISTED WHEN YOU GET YOUR PARENTS' RIGHTS, IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE BACK OF THE FORM.
JENNIFER, UH, SORRY, DR. ALEXANDER, I SINCERELY DO APPRECIATE YOU FOR THIS INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DO HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT ITEM FAIR, THE NEXT PRESENTER.
SO ANY COMMISSIONERS OR COMMISSIONER WHITE.
UM, COMMISSIONER WHITE, WE DO ASK THAT YOU, UM, SURE.
ASK A, A BRIEF QUESTION BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO MOVE ON.
CAN I MAKE ONE MORE STATEMENT ABOUT THE, THE MEDICAID? UM, THAT IS HUMAN HEALTH, AND THAT'S H-H-S-C-H-H-S-C ACTUALLY, UM, OVERSEE THE C'S BILLING.
WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE IEPS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOCUMENTING, UM, AND, AND AUDIT THAT PIECE.
BUT, UM, DEFINITELY WATCH FOR THAT IN LEGISLATION.
I'M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME THINGS, UM, THAT YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT FOR SURE.
BUT HHSC ACTUALLY OVERSEES THE CHARS BILLING AND THE MONIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHARS.
UM, I THINK COMMISSIONER WHITE HAD A QUESTION.
UM, UNDER SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY? YES, MA'AM.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS ULA ADDED IN THERE.
THAT'S A GREAT RECOMMENDATION.
THAT'S A GREAT RECOMMENDATION.
YES, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT MY DOCTOR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH IT.
I HAD A TEACHER TELL ME WHEN I TOOK THE BOOKS TO HER, 'CAUSE SHE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST PSYCHOLOGIST, AND SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS TIRED OF, UM, MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BEING USED FOR
[01:30:01]
POOR PARENTING.SO I STARTED HOMESCHOOLING HER AND I TRIED TO RE-ENROLL HER BACK IN THE ISD HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE THE HEAD OF SPECIAL ED HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF IT.
I'LL TAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE, TO THE TEAM.
AND THERE'S NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, RULES HAVE PASSED FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE, UM, IF, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, IN WHEN RULES POST IN THE SPRING, LOOKING FOR THOSE RULES TO POST, IT'S THE TEXAS REGISTERS WHEN RULES POST.
AND IF IT'S CHAPTER 89, IT'S ALL SPECIAL POPULATIONS.
AND IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS SPECIAL EDUCATION, SPECIAL POPULATIONS RULES, AND, AND THE PUBLIC HAS AN OPPORTUNITY ALWAYS TO COMMENT.
UM, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN DR. ALEXANDER FOR THIS INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
WE ARE DEEPLY HONORED TO HAVE THE CO-FOUNDER, UM, UH, WHAT'S HIS NAME? OH YEAH.
THE CO-FOUNDER OF MOSEY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER.
CO-FOUNDER SLASH CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER OF MOSEY, ALONG WITH HIS COLLEAGUE, UM, MR. HOYT FULLER, ALONG WITH HIS COLLEAGUE SEAN, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING TO US ABOUT MOSEY, THE LEADING PRODUCER OF SELF-AUTONOMOUS DRIVING VEHICLES THAT ARE FULLY A DA COMPLIANT.
WE ARE DEEPLY HONORED TO HEAR FROM THEM AS THEY WILL SHARE WITH US THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR CITY HAS PUSHED THE LIMITS IN MAKING SURE THAT TRANSPORTATION IS ACCESSIBLE, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I NOW WELCOME BOTH OF THEM TO THE FLOOR.
I'M A CO-FOUNDER AND, UH, UH, CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER FOR MOSEY.
AND I HAVE HERE MY CEO AND CO-FOUNDER AS WELL.
SEAN TATO, HE'S GONNA BE DOING THE PRESENTATION.
UM, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, UH, I LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR INVITING US OUT TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, BUT YES, SO I'M SEAN KOTO, UM, CO-FOUNDER AND, UH, CEO HERE AT MOSEY.
WE WERE ACTUALLY FOUNDED HERE IN DALLAS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, OUR OFFICE IS RIGHT IN THE, UH, DESIGN DISTRICT.
UM, WE LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS, UH, ON A MISSION TO MOSEY U FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
UM, AND THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, WE FOUNDED THE COMPANY.
WE REALLY WANTED TO BUILD SOMETHING IMPACTFUL, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE LIKE MOBILITY IS MORE THAN JUST GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
IT'S FREEDOM, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, IT'S FREEDOM TO GO TO YOUR JOB, TO YOUR SCHOOL PROSPERITY, AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE.
AND SO WE'RE, UH, SUPER EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW WE'RE BUILDING A ALL-INCLUSIVE VEHICLE.
SO, OF COURSE, LIKE A BIG PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, IS, UH, UH, ACCESSIBILITY, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S ROUGHLY 150 MILLION AMERICANS A DAY THAT HAVE NO ACCESS TO MASS TRANSIT.
AND LIKE A LOT OF THE OPTIONS OUT THERE DON'T REALLY HAVE A SOLUTION THAT'S TRULY ALL INCLUSIVE, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERYTHING FROM A DA RAMPS TO, YOU KNOW, UM, HAVING BRAILLE ON THE ACTUAL DOORS, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, THOSE THINGS AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INCLUDED THOSE THINGS INTO THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE.
UM, KIND OF SOME CORE ISSUES THAT WE'VE KIND OF SEEN OVER THE YEARS AT MOSEY IS OF COURSE THE, LIKE, THE, LIKE ACCESSIBILITY GAPS JUST KIND OF PLAYED, UM, UH, AMERICAN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, MOST CITIES ARE BUILT AROUND KIND OF TWO THINGS, AND THAT'S MASS TRANSIT IN THE AMERICAN CAR.
AND JUST LIKE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE HAVING, YOU KNOW, UM, RAMPS AT, YOU KNOW, UH, EVERY INTERSECTION OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT IS SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
UM, AND THEN EVEN ON THE ACTUAL COMPLIANCE SIDE OF THINGS AS WELL.
UH, DID YOU WANNA SAY THING? YEAH, UH, I JUST WANTED, WANTED TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE, UH, WITH THE SLIDES.
UM, SO THE FIRST SLIDE, WE HAVE THE ACCESSIBILITY GAPS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, SOME PROTESTORS THAT ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS AND SOME SUPPORT FROM THAT.
UM, THE SECOND PHOTO, WHICH IS KIND OF, UH, REPRESENTING THE OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CAN SEE, UH, SOMEONE IN A WHEELCHAIR THAT, UM, THERE'S NO A DA ACCESSIBLE RAMP TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF DEMONSTRATING THAT.
AND, UM, ON THE, THE FOLLOWING IMAGE, UH, WE SEE, UM, A LARGE STAIRCASE THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JIMMY RIGGED PUT TOGETHER, AND THERE'S A, UH, THERE'S A RAMP THAT'S GOING DOWN
[01:35:01]
THE STAIRS THAT ISN'T, IS CLEARLY UNSAFE.UM, SO WE JUST KIND OF WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A VIDEO PLAYING OF OUR, UH, RAMP THAT ACTUALLY COMES OUT, I FEEL, OH, THAT'S GONNA LOAD UP
UH, SO LIKE, THE VIDEO THAT'S PLAYING RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY SHOWS A RAMP ACTUALLY BEING DEPLOYED ON OUR VEHICLE HERE.
AND THEN, UM, WHEELCHAIR ACTUALLY BEING DRIVEN DOWN.
AND SO LIKE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AGAIN, LIKE WE WANTED IT TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE.
SO THE VEHICLE HOLDS ABOUT 12 PASSENGERS, UH, SEATING AND STANDING, AND ABOUT SIX PASSENGERS WITH A, UH, SINGLE WHEELCHAIR.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH CITIES AND, UH, BUSINESSES AS LIKE, UM, AS LIKE THE RISE OF SELF-DRIVING ROBOTS AND FOOD DELIVERY LIKE ROBOTS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, COME INTO PLAY.
WE FEEL LIKE MOSEY HERE, THAT IT'S IMPERATIVE TO PARTNER WITH BOTH CITIES AS WELL AS LIKE BUSINESSES TO DRIVE ADOPTION WITH THIS, UH, TO HELP DRIVE ADOPTION WITH THIS STU, UH, WITH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST MAKING THE WORLD A MORE MOBILITY FREE PLACE.
BUT TO DO THAT, WE'VE REALLY GOTTA LIKE, KIND OF TAKE A STEP BACK AND TRULY BUILD LIKE A ALL INCLUSIVE VEHICLE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE AT MOSEY.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM OUR TECHNOLOGY.
WE WORK AS A SUPPLEMENT WITH, UH, EXISTING MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS TO, UH, OUR, UM, UH, A DA, UH, CENTRIC DESIGN.
AND HERE AT MOSEY MOVING FORWARD, EVERY VEHICLE THAT WE MANUFACTURE IN BUILD WILL HAVE A DA IN MIND.
SO EVERYTHING FROM RAMPS TO, UH, DRILL ON THE DOORS TO EVEN SOUND SYSTEMS OR OUR, UM, AUDITORY SOUND SYSTEMS TO HELP GUIDE, UM, UH, UH, VISUALLY IMPAIRED, UM, PASSENGERS.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, SOME OF THE TEAM, UM, OVER 20 YEARS OF AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE.
UM, YEAH, SO IT'S, UH, YEAH, UH, THIS SLIDE IS JUST SHOWING THE TEAM.
AND SO, SOME OF OUR COMPETITIVE, UH, ADVANTAGES, SO THERE'S US AT MOSEY BEEP, TESLA, ZOOX, AND THEN, UH, GOOGLE COMPANY WAYMO.
SO WE SHARE ALL OF OUR DATA WITH CITIES, UM, EVERYTHING FROM OCCUPANCY DOWN TO POTHOLE LIKE DETECTION.
UM, AS WE'RE, AS WE SAY, AGAIN, MOSEYING, YOU KNOW, PASSENGERS LIKE THROUGH YOUR CITY.
LIKE WE FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT DATA.
UM, OUR VEHICLES ACTUALLY, UM, OF COURSE, UH, PROPRIETARY AND PURPOSE-BUILT MOST OF THE INDUSTRY IS KIND OF TAKING SENSORS AND SLAPPING THEM ON VEHICLES AND REALLY NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, FOCUS ON A ALL INCLUSIVE VEHICLE TO GET PEOPLE FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, COMMUNITY FOCUSED PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST FROM THE VIDEOS THAT, UM, THAT YOU SAW, IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF KIND OF A HORSESHOE SEATING WOULD ACTUALLY GIVES US MORE ROOM TO, YOU KNOW, FIT THINGS LIKE, UH, MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIRS, YOU KNOW, MANUAL WHEELCHAIRS.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY PUCKS ON THE GROUND TO ACTUALLY LOCK IN THOSE WHEELCHAIRS AS WELL.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY LEASE THE VEHICLE SO, UH, CITIES DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FLEET MANAGEMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, WE ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THAT FOR YOU.
AND SO HERE'S A QUICK VIDEO KIND OF SHOWING IT ROLLING AROUND, UH, THE DALLAS DESIGN DISTRICT HERE.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY CRUISING THROUGH, UH, THIS IS HOWELL STREET, UM, GOING IN BETWEEN HOW AND STREET.
SO WE'RE ABOUT SIX MINUTES AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN.
UM, THESE VEHICLES ARE HOURLY, UH, UM, ARE ALREADY FULLY DOT AND, UH, NSA CERTIFIED AS WELL.
THEY'VE ALSO BEEN CRASH TESTED UP TO 45 MILES AN HOUR, AND HERE'S A KIND OF INSIDE SHOT OF THE VEHICLE.
UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S MOY IN A NUTSHELL WE'RE, UH, YEAH, WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND, UH, YES, DOING SOME DEPLOYMENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU FOR COMING AND PRESENTING TO US.
UM, I DO REMEMBER THE VISIT THAT COMMISSIONER REVY AND MYSELF CONDUCTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, AND IT WAS TRULY A DELIGHT TO EXPLORE ALI AND LEARN ABOUT HOW MOSEY IS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR
[01:40:01]
YOUR, UH, YOUR INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.I'M GOING TO TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY HAVE QUESTIONS.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, IS THE MODEL THAT MAY BE OVER DESIGNATED ROUTES IN A PACIFIC AREA, OR WOULD IT BE, WOULD YOU, IF YOU COME TO DALLAS, WANT TO BE ON CALL TO ANY HOUSE OR HOW, WHAT'S YOUR BUSINESS MODEL ON HOW THIS WORKS? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, QUESTION.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY ON PREDEFINED ROUTES, SO WE WOULD WORK WITH TRANSIT OR THE CITY ON LIKE DEFINING ON WHERE THOSE LOADING AND UNLOADING PICKUPS ARE.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF THINK OF IT AS LIKE A MILE TYPE THING.
YEAH, SO LIKE THE OPERATING, UM, RANGES LIKE ONE TO FIVE MILES, BUT THEY'RE, YEAH.
SO IT'S KINDA LIKE A TROLLEY WITH NO TRACKS, THE BEST WAY TO KIND OF EXPLAIN IT.
SO IT'S ON LIKE A PREDEFINED ROUTE.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION WAS, WHAT TYPE OF PERMITTING OR REGULATIONS DOES THE CITY OF DALLAS ALLOW AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ON ITS STREETS YET? I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE ARE IN THAT, IN THAT JOURNEY YET, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, OR EVEN, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GONNA BE IN ARLINGTON IN THE CITY, CITY OF ARLINGTON.
YEAH, SO WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH, UH, TDOT.
UM, IN FACT, I ACTUALLY SIT ON THE, UH, CONNECTED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE BOARD WITH TDOT.
AND SO WE GET THE HELP SET POLICY ON, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE STATE OF TEXAS DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, AS WE CALL IT ROBOT ON WHEELS.
UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY DOWN TO THE COUNTY LEVEL, SO IT'S ACTUALLY SET BY THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, UM, DO WE HAVE A SAFETY STEWARD, YOU KNOW, IN THE VEHICLE TO NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, HAVING A SAFETY STEWARD, WHERE DO WE OPERATE THEM OPERATING TIMES, ALL THAT IS ACTUALLY SET BY THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THAT'S FROM TEXTILE? FOR WHAT? REGARDING, SO IT'S REGARDING WHAT? IT'S BEVERLY, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S CURRENTLY ALLOWED ON THE STREETS OF DALLAS? YEAH.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO OPERATE ON ANY, YEAH.
UM, AND ALSO LIKE THEY'RE ALREADY DLT AND NSA CERTIFIED.
SO FROM LIKE A FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL? YES, YES.
DOES ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MOSEY? YES.
COMMISSIONER PU HERE, I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR NUMBER ONE, TAKING THE TIME OUT TO COME IN AND MEET WITH US.
A GREAT PRESENTATION REALLY QUICKLY.
JENNIFER LEFT, BUT GOOGLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
SO THE A RDI JUST WANNA SAY THIS BECAUSE THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY CONFUSION AND I LIKE ACCURACY.
A RD CAN ALSO STAND FOR AN ANNUAL ART.
I MEAN, IT'S RIGHT HERE, SO PLEASE DON'T DO THAT TO PARENTS.
THERE SHOULD BE ANY CONFUSION.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FO MR. PU, I, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO AGREE TO DISAGREE.
AN ADMISSION REVIEW DECISION MEETING.
CAN AN ANNUAL REVIEW DECISION FOR A CHILD WHO RECEIVES SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES? IF WE GOTTA GO, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CROSSED FOR TIME, THAT'S FINE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT COMMISSIONERS MAY WISH TO ASK FOR MOSEY? NO, APPARENTLY NOT.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, I WISH TO THANK YOU MR. FULLER AND YOUR DEAR COLLEAGUE, MR. SEAN, FOR COMING AND PRESENTING TO US TODAY.
WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, AUGUST IS BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I INVITED DR. ALEXANDER TO COME AND PRESENT TO US ABOUT RULES AND REGULATIONS CONCERNING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
AS THAT PART OF EDUCATION IS OFTEN LEFT OUT OR IGNORED.
SO WE DO HOPE THAT AS THE SCHOOL YEAR IS OFF TO A GREAT START, THAT THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEIR NEEDS MET, THEIR NEEDS MET, AND THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A THRIVING AND A SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
I ALSO DO WANT TO INFORM YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I INDICATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR.
AS YOU DO KNOW, IN 2026, THERE WILL BE THE WORLD CUP AND A FEW OF THE MATCHES WILL BE HAPPENING HERE IN DALLAS.
AS A COMMISSION, I WOULD LIKE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH, UM, THE STAFF OF O-A-O-E-I AND, UH, I ALSO INVITE COMMISSIONERS WHO MAY WISH TO WORK WITH ME ON EFFORTS IN WAYS THAT WE COULD MAKE THE EXPERIENCE A MEMORABLE ONE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AS THERE WILL BE AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE, PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO LISTEN TO THE MATCHES.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE NOT FORGOTTEN AND THAT THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE EQUATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, AS WE WORK TOGETHER FOR, FOR WORLD CUP 2026, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS, UH,
[01:45:01]
WITH A HUMAN RIGHTS FOCUS, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THAT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE ARE FULLY COMPLIANT, UM, SO THAT EVERYBODY, UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, CAN ENJOY, UM, THE SERVICES AND, AND THE WORLD CUP AND MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE A MEMORABLE ONE.ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT MAY WISH TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS? COMMISSIONER REVY? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU ALL BE ABLE TO SEE THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES DURING THE WORLD CUP IN ARLINGTON, BUT NOT IN DALLAS.
COMMISSIONER EVIE, WE STRONGLY HEAR YOU ON THAT.
DO YOU KNOW WE'RE NOT IGNORING YOU? WE HEAR YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING ALL OF US WISH HAD HAPPENED, BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP WORKING AND STRIVING HARD AND MAKE THE BEST OF IT.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT MAY WISH TO PROVIDE ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THIS TIME? NO.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS TO BE MADE, THEN I MAKE A MOTION THAT TODAY'S MEETING BE ADJOURNED.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? APPARENTLY THERE IS NONE.
AND, UH, FOR THE RECORDS, THE TIME THIS MEETING WAS ADJOURNED IS 3:54 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.