Author Archives: TBP Staff

2026 Disaster Resilience Survey of Texans with Disabilities

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Disability Rights Texas is conducting the 2026 Disaster Resilience Survey of Texans with Disabilities.

The survey will collect data on how prepared you are for disasters, what you are concerned about, and what you need to be more prepared.

The survey is for people with disabilities and people connected to the disability community. Your feedback could help emergency managers and policy makers create new resources, develop community trainings, and provide education about the disability community’s needs.

The deadline to complete the survey is May 31, 2026. If you need help completing the survey, or need it in a different format, email disaster@drtx.org, or call 1-800-948-1824.

Here are the links to the survey:

English: www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026Ready

Spanish: www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026Listo

American Sign Language (ASL) users can complete the survey by calling:

Video Phone: 1-866-362-2851

Purple 2 Video Phone: 512-271-9391

Braille Institute Low Vision Month Workshops

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In recognition of February being Low Vision Awareness Month, the Braille Institute is offering the following free workshops. All times are in Central Time.

  • Low Vision Kitchen Skills for Meal Preparation on Thursday, February 12 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Windows Accessibility Tools for Low Vision Users on Wednesday, February 18 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.  
  • E-mail Made Easy for Low Vision Users on Tuesday February 24 from 12:00 p.m.  – 1:00 p.m.
  • Android Accessibility Tools for Low Vision Users on Wednesday, February 25 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Visit www.brailleinstitute.org/low-vision-month to learn more and register.

The Ride Ahead Documentary on PBS

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The Ride Ahead, an episode of PBS’s POV series, profiles Samuel Habib, a young man with a physical disability. Samuel is turning 21, and he wants to do what many other young people his age do: leave home, attend college, and go out on dates. In The Ride Ahead, he seeks advice and learned experiences from a community of disability activists.

The documentary is available to view for free on the PBS website and the PBS app until September 20, 2025.

HAVIN Virtual Game Night

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The Houston Area Visually Impaired Network (HAVIN) is hosting a virtual game night on Saturday, May 31, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. (Central).

In addition to playing games, the session will discuss games you can play using your Alexa speaker.

You do not have to be a member of HAVIN to attend.

Register for HAVIN virtual game night by filling out the Google form at this link:

https://tinyurl.com/4zrrzsd6

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

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Mental Health Awareness Month has been recognized in the U.S. since 1949. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, help is available.

Here are some resources:

Mental Health TX: https://mentalhealthtx.org/

Mental health and substance use services for families and people of all ages

Offers urgent and non-urgent services and provides information on the stigma surrounding mental health.

NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Health: www.nami.org/

Helpline (available 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Eastern), Monday – Friday): 800-950-6264

Text NAMI to 62640

NAMI Texas https://namitexas.org

Resource Line: 512-693-2000 (available 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Central), Monday – Friday)

Support and education for those with mental illness and those around them. Local affiliates in parts of the state.

National Suicide Prevention LifeLine: https://988lifeline.org

800-273-8255 or call/text 988

Available 24/7/365

Crisis Text Line: www.crisistextline.org

Text HOME to 741741. Text and chat available.

Turn To – Texas Health and Human Services Commission www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/prevention/turn    

Information on finding support for yourself, your child, family and friends, or your community.

Contact the Disability Information and Referral Center for more resources: 800-252-9605 (toll free in Texas), 512-463-5458, or e-mail tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov

November is National Family Caregivers Month

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Caregiving is both a rewarding and complex situation for families.

Finding affordable and reliable caregivers can be difficult, so many spouses, partners, parents, adult children, and other family members care for their loved ones without paid assistance.

Texas Health and Human Services provides web sites and programs to assist families with this complicated endeavor.

HHS Caregiver Support and Resources: https://hhs.texas.gov/services/health/support-caregivers/caregiver-support-resources. Sections on this site include benefits, in-home care and personal attendant services, transportation and meals, and medication management.

HHS Strengthen the Care You Give: https://hhs.texas.gov/services/health/support-caregivers.Too many caregivers neglect their own physical and mental well-being while caring for their loved ones. This site provides information on caregiver self-care, training and planning, and support and resources.

Take Time Texas: https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/taketimetexas.Take Time Texas connects caregivers of children and caregivers of older adults to information and resources related to respite care.

HHS Turn To: https://hhs.texas.gov/services/health/prevention/turn-to.This site provides information about sources for support. Sections include support for yourself, for your child, for your friends and family, and for your community

Online Wellness Programs for People with Disabilities

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Here are some programs for people with disabilities that promote health and wellness:

Fit With Us is a six-month exercise telehealth study that promotes health and functionality for people with disabilities. Participants must be at least 18 years old with a permanent physical disability, have access to the Internet, and be able to use a computer or smartphone. For more information, click here: https://fitwithus.org/about-the-study/.

My Health My Life My Way is a six-month telehealth study for people with disabilities who also have a chronic condition. Participants must be at least 18 years old with a permanent physical disability and a chronic disease such as arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, or a heart or lung condition. Participants must also have access to the Internet and be able to use a computer or smartphone. For more information, contact: Eric Evans: 205-236-8452: evansej@uab.edu Learn more about the study here: https://myhealthmylifemyway.org/about-the-study/.

In addition, NCHPAD (National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability) offers the following online health and wellness programs for adults with physical disabilities:

Mentor (Mindfulness, Exercise, Nutrition to Optimize Resilience): MENTOR is an eight-week program that focuses on physical, mental, and emotional health.

Growth (Growing Resilience Out of Wellness and Thoughtful Habits): GROWTH is a six-week program that focuses on mental health and well-being.

SOS Everybody (State of Slim): SOS is a 16-week program that focuses on sustainable weight loss.

Coffee Club: Coffee Club meets twice a month to promote social connections and discuss health and wellness.

Learn more about these programs here: https://www.nchpadconnect.org/programs.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

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Diabetes is a serious, chronic condition that can lead to heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney disease. Type 1 cannot be prevented, but Type 2 can be delayed or prevented by living a healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition, physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight.

There is a wealth of information online about diabetes.

A good place to start is Medline Plus, a site that provides information for the public about health topics: https://medlineplus.gov/diabetes.html

Another resource is the Diabetes Information Clearinghouse from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes. The Clearinghouse includes all the basics about diabetes, plus topics such as tests and diagnosis, risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, healthy living with diabetes, and preventing diabetes problems. You can also e-mail the Clearinghouse at healthinfo@niddk.nih.gov, or call 800-860-8747, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. eastern time. In addition, the Clearinghouse features a page for National Diabetes Awareness Month: www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/community-health-outreach/national-diabetes-month

The American Diabetes Association also has a website with extensive information: https://diabetes.org. Sections on the site include life with diabetes, health and wellness, and food and nutrition. You can search for in-person and virtual diabetes education programs at https://diabetes.org/tools-resources/diabetes-education-programs and locate local American Diabetes Association chapters at https://diabetes.org/local/find-chapter. Contact the national office at 800-342-2383, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. eastern time, or e-mail askada@diabetes.org.

Many Faces of BARD Program: Using NLS BARD on the HIMS SensePlayer

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Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m. central time. The topic will be using NLS BARD on the HIMS SensePlayer.

BARD stands for Braille and Audio Reading Download service and is a registered trademark for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. 

Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/29zv8pxe.   

That All May eRead: Using the eReader to Access Online Services

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Join the National Library Service (NLS) on Tuesday, October 29, at 6:00 p.m. central time for the next session of the online series That All May eRead. This session will cover how to access online services using the Zoomax and Humanware braille ereaders.

Registration is not required.

Click on the link to join: https://tinyurl.com/4z5sht89

These sessions will be recorded.