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[laughter] [That's perfect, Susie!] [I like it!] [Right, right.]
My name's Dennis Borel. I'm the Executive Director of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities.
We work with the Legislature while they're in session and we try to
influence these laws, and we do. We influence this proposed legislation
to serve people with disabilities.
We change the system
so that you know tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of
individuals benefit from the changes we make by directing policy in a different direction.
We're able to accomplish things
throughout the whole state
so there's the belief that if you can do so much and cover the whole state
there must be a huge staff
when in reality it's much smaller.
[laughter] [this is like an Indy 500 kind of thing!]
Our staff is composed primarily of people with significant disabilities.
Our webmaster is legally blind.
Our director of advocacy has a spinal cord injury and has quadriplegia.
The people who our Consumer Directed Services operation.
Hey, this is my office.
You can tell my main work space is here on the floor.
I do everything with my feet so that's why I've got
the keyboard and phone on the floor. I utilize my feet for quite a bit of stuff.
I can still get quite a bit done.
Can't get things out of the way.
I think we've really done a lot of good to advocate for
people with disabilities and
people who are senior citizens in Texas.
I'm kinda happy about the Consumer Directed Service option
which gives people a choice where they can live in their own home.
I'm happy we can help that many people.
[Consider Directed Services. This is Terri. How may I help you?]
Many of those people have very very significant disabilities
and I feel really good about the fact that we're able to
provide this option to them.
[laughter]
There's a really synergetic relationship here where
things that I can't do or someone else can't do
other people can fill in and accommodate that part of the equation.
There's more of a willingness to accommodate and work with other people.
because you realize
Oh. I need an accommodation
so this is how
this person needs an accommodation.
People often get surprised about what people with disabilities can actually do.
All people with disabilities
regardless of you know what type of disability or the severity of disability
have really something significant offer.
People with disabilities have the same goals and desires and
hopes for the future than anyone else has.
The fact that we have
disadvantaged populations doesn't mean it has to always be that way.
We can change that. It's doable. It's not expensive. In fact it's cost effective
and we can
creative a future society where all people including people with disabilities
can function on every level of our society.
We are the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities.