Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities Receives Grant to Launch "Raising Texas Voices" Advocacy Training Project

The Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities has been awarded a transformative grant to launch “Raising Texas Voices,” a two-year project aimed at enhancing advocacy training for people with developmental disabilities and their families across the state. This project, funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD), will leverage data-driven insights and community-based approaches to ensure advocacy efforts are inclusive, culturally appropriate, and generationally relevant.

The goal of “Raising Texas Voices” is to equip Texans with developmental disabilities, especially those from unserved and underserved communities, with effective tools to advocate for themselves and their families. Through innovative methods of outreach and engagement, the project will work to ensure that people with disabilities have a significant voice in shaping policies and practices that impact their lives. This initiative will provide crucial insights into the diverse needs of Texans with disabilities, helping to create more accessible, inclusive, and impactful advocacy training.

"We believe that the voices of individuals with developmental disabilities should be central in the development of advocacy strategies," said Erik Carter, PhD, Executive Director of the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities. "Through this project, we are committed to learning directly from people with disabilities and their families, ensuring their insights help shape future advocacy training that truly reflects their unique perspectives, preferences, and needs."

The project will involve close collaboration with self-advocates, families, and other stakeholders across the state of Texas. A key component will be collecting feedback from a broad, diverse sample of Texans, including those from rural areas, individuals with complex communication needs, and people who speak languages other than English. By capturing the perspectives of people across generations, “Raising Texas Voices” will highlight the varying advocacy priorities and needs of people with disabilities at different stages of life.

Some major activities of the project include:

• Establishing a project advisory committee of diverse experts and advocates
• Engaging a wide range of data collection methods, such as video surveys, story booths, and community conversations
• Developing a comprehensive report that will provide actionable recommendations to the TCDD on the design and delivery of future advocacy training
• Tracking and analyzing generational and demographic patterns to better understand the needs of people with disabilities

Findings will be shared in a variety of formats, including comprehensive reports, video summaries, and interactive digital content, making it accessible to a broad audience to apply the recommendations. Additionally, the project will provide valuable guidance to Texas organizations and schools on how to effectively reach and engage people with disabilities in advocacy training and other community-building efforts.

"This is an exciting opportunity for us to learn from Texans who have long been underrepresented in advocacy conversations," said Alison Prahl, co-principal investigator of the project. "We look forward to seeing how the insights gathered from this work will help guide the future of disability advocacy in Texas and beyond."

“Raising Texas Voices” is a collaboration between the Baylor School of Education, Robbins College of Health & Human Sciences and the College of Arts & Sciences across multiple disciplines, including special education, school psychology, communication and communication sciences disorders. This groundbreaking endeavor exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach at the heart of Baylor in Deeds, aligning with the University’s strategic plan to foster collaboration across fields and drive impactful, real-world solutions.

This work is supported by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities through a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D.C. 20201, with a 100% federal funding award totaling $6,175,796. Council efforts are those of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official views of nor are endorsed by ACL, HHS, or the U.S. government.