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Welcome: Now You're a Part of the Action!
You are receiving this update because you signed up
to be an e-advocate at the Texas Action Center. As we hope you’ve
already discovered, the Texas Action Center is an easy and effective
way to keep up with legislative and policy issues of interest to you
and other disability advocates.
Grassroots advocacy is an important part of the legislative and
policy-making processes. Lawmakers and other officials want to know
what constituents think. And they often turn to people with
disabilities and other disability advocates for help in
understanding the significance and impact of the issues they are
working on. The Texas Action Center makes it easy to share your
interests and ideas with your elected representatives in state and
federal government.
The DPC has launched a new campaign to raise awareness about four
“key” issues that are important to people with disabilities’ and
their ability to be part of their communities:
- No Waiting lists,
- Community services,
- Livable wages and benefits, and
- Accessible, affordable housing.
DPC has produced a brochure detailing recommendations
for each of the four keys to support members and other advocates who
are working to educate legislators, state agency officials and other
decision-makers. We’ve
also created buttons and stickers to help keep the message visible
throughout the legislative session.
For more information about The Keys to the
Community campaign (requires Adobe Reader), go to the DPC
website: www.dpctexas.org. To
request copies of the brochure send an e-mail to info@dpctexas.org. Please be
sure to include your mailing address and a phone number in the event
we need to contact you.
Pointers for Personal Visits
Some advocates prefer the personal touch and like to meet with
their elected officials face to face. If you’re planning a trip to
Texas Capitol to meet with your elected representatives, here are a
few quick tips.
- If you want a personal visit with a legislator, it’s best to
call for an appointment.
If you “drop by,” don’t expect to see the elected
official. Most likely
you’ll end up visiting with a staff member. Either way, your visit and
your message will be noted.
- Keep your visit short and your message to the point.
- Have a “leave behind” summarizing your key points for the
legislator or staff person to refer to later.
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About the Disability Policy Consortium |
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The DPC is made up of a diverse assortment
of disability advocacy groups that have joined forces to
advance the rights, inclusion and independence of Texans with
disabilities. Each member organization contributes its unique
perspective and resources to the collective effort to promote
effective public policy for a variety of issues important to
people with disabilities and their families. |
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