Episode 59. Tennessee Disability Day on the Hill - Tennessee Disability Coalition

I chat with Carol Westlake and Jeff Strand of the Tennessee Disability Coalition. TDC is a group of 40+ organizations that come together to support the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life. The 4 domains that make up TDC are public policy, brain links, family voices, and small grants.  Bio of Carol Westlake: "I am the founding director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, a position I have held for 32 years. My background and training are in special education, disability and public policy.  I have helped start a number of not-for-profit advocacy organizations and enjoy serving the community through volunteer work. I hope that listeners learn that disability is a natural part of the human experience. My call to action is to inclusion - to make sure that everything we do is accessible, inclusive, and supportive of people with disabilities." Bio of Jeff Strand: Jeff is the Coordinator of Government and External Affairs at the Tennessee Disability Coalition. In that role, he is responsible for monitoring state policy, developing content related to TDC policy efforts and working with advocates and self-advocates to support their policy and advocacy work. Jeff received a Bachelor's in History from the University of Minnesota, a Master's in Special Education from Augsburg University, and a Master's in Community Development from Vanderbilt University. He lives in East Nashville with his wife, recently turned-one-year-old daughter, and dog, where they enjoy going for walks, cooking and gardening." I want listeners to develop and feel a sense of power as an advocate for their given and chosen communities. I hope they can walk away with some tangible steps they can take toward envisioning and moving toward the type of world they want to live in." Timeline 1:00 What is the Tennessee Disability Coalition? 2:37 What is Advocacy? 3:40 Reform for Public School Funding in Tennessee. 9:50 TEIS 12:30 Tennessee Disability Virtual Day on the Hill #DDH2022 15:45 Message from Carol/Jeff. In this segment, a reference is made to Chrissy's Story. Here is the link https://youtu.be/HCSHn50_JV0 18:41 Closing remarks Transcript