If there’s a winter weather emergency, you could be stuck at home for a few days – possibly without power – left to fend for yourself with only what you have. Since extreme winter weather can come out of nowhere, it’s important that you get prepared now for whatever the Texas winter throws at you.

Below are some of the supplies you may want to keep on hand in case you have to shelter in place during a winter storm.

• Clothes: have warm clothes, outerwear, and blankets so you can stay warm both inside and outside of your home.
• Food & water: have three days’ worth of shelf-stable food and enough water for each person to have one gallon per day.
• Medical: keep enough medications for seven days, make sure you have a fully-stocked first aid kit, and have a backup plan if you use a mobility device that is power dependent.
• Gadgets: have a radio, a flashlight, and a can opener that you can still use if the power goes out. And make sure you have batteries and power banks to operate and charge your gadgets and devices.
• Miscellaneous: have an alternative heat source to help you stay warm, and keep a shovel and salt or sand handy to clear paths outside your home.

And don’t forget your pets! Many of the items above apply to your pets and service animals, too. Take your pets into consideration when planning for things like how to stay warm, how much food and water to have, how much medication to keep on hand, and more.

Learn more and see our full checklist:

• Winter Emergency Supplies Checklist for People with Disabilities
• Lista de verificación de suministros de emergencia de invierno para personas con discapacidades

Our mission is to help Texans with disabilities exercise their legal rights so they can participate in society like everyone else. Your help is critical to help us continue to fulfill this important mission.

It’s the season of giving and our year-end giving campaign is underway. There are a lot of easy and convenient ways for you to give to DRTx so you can support our mission. You can donate online or you can create a fundraiser on Facebook or Instagram. Any amount you can donate or fundraise will help and we are grateful for your support.

People who donate or fundraise $125 before the end of the year will get our exclusive “I’m a champion for inclusion” t-shirt. This t-shirt will be available one time only ever – during this year-end giving campaign – so act now.

To get your exclusive t-shirt, you can either make a one-time donation of $125, commit to making a recurring monthly donation of $25, or raise $125 on Facebook or Instagram. The funds must be donated or raised by December 31, 2024.

Thank you for your generous support during this season of giving.

 

Donate now

 

The 2024 Disaster Resilience Survey of Texans with Disabilities asked respondents how prepared they are for disasters, what worries them, and what their disaster resilience needs are. The survey was open to Texans with disabilities, people who support a person with a disability, and others connected to the disability community. The survey, which was conducted by Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), received 405 responses.

Overall, Texans with disabilities appear to be less resilient than they were a year ago. While the significant preparedness gaps that were revealed in the 2023 Disaster Resilience Survey remain in the 2024 survey, this year’s survey reveals a population that – in certain areas – is actually less prepared and more worried than a year ago. Conversely, instances of people being more prepared or less worried were rare and not significant.

Less prepared

There are steps everyone can take to be more prepared for disasters. This can include signing up for emergency alerts, having extra supplies on hand, and understanding what your local emergency management department will do when there’s an event.

For some people with disabilities, preparing for disasters can be complex because considerations will be made on available options, such as backup power needs to keep medications refrigerated, the accessibility of a public emergency shelter, and how to provide food and water for a service animal.

In general, the majority of respondents are not prepared for disasters when it comes to the specific areas covered in the survey. And, what’s more, there are some areas where respondents are significantly less prepared than they were a year ago. For example:

• 74% don’t have a solid plan for evacuating and sheltering in place (up eight points from 66% in 2023)
• 89% don’t know how to get emergency prescriptions refilled (up 18 points from 71%)
• 76% don’t have copies of their important documents in their emergency kit (up 11 points from 65%)

Also, in almost all instances, 2024 survey respondents reported having less supplies on hand than 2023 respondents. For example, 57% don’t have enough food and water for five days (up 21 points from 36%), 51% don’t have food that meets their dietary needs (up 28 points from 23%), and 40% don’t have a first aid kit (up 13 points from 27%).
 

More worried

The majority of respondents indicated they are worried about 12 of the 14 types of disasters and emergencies the survey asked about. In 2024, the worry survey respondents had about some disaster types increased significantly:

• 68% are worried about a drought (up seven points from 61%)
• 52% are worried about wildfires (up 11 points from 41%)
• 65% are worried about household fires (up eight points from 57%)
• 85% are worried about extreme heat (up nine points from 76%)

Of the two disaster types that were not worrisome for the majority of survey respondents, worry about earthquakes actually increased eight points to 26% (18% were worried in 2023) and worry about hurricanes remained the same at 44%.

Increasing disaster resilience

Feedback from this survey is one of the sources that informs DRTx’s efforts to help people with disabilities be more resilient in the face of disasters and emergencies. Our website features a number of Disaster Resilience resources and we publish a Disaster Resilience newsletter.

In 2025, we’ll conduct another disaster resilience survey, and we’ll also use the feedback from that survey to identify – and address – the preparedness needs of Texans with disabilities. To get notified when the survey is available, subscribe to the newsletter or follow us on social media.

Tuesday, November 5, is Election Day. This is your opportunity to vote for the people and issues you support. Read the information below to make sure you’re ready to vote in-person on Election Day.

Who can vote?

Anyone who is registered to vote on Election Day can vote. If you registered to vote, you should have received a Voter Registration Certificate in the mail 30 days after registering. If you aren’t sure if you’re registered, you can check on the My Voter Portal.

What am I voting on?

This election includes races for federal, state, and local offices, and possibly specific local issues (called “propositions”). See your sample ballot so you know what to expect when you fill out your ballot.

Where do I vote?

It depends on where you’re registered to vote. In some counties, you can vote at any polling place in the county, while in other counties, you can only vote at the polling place assigned to you. Contact your county elections office to find out where you can vote.

When do I vote?

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5.

How do I vote?

• Transportation: Make sure you have a way to get to your polling place and see our Find a Ride Guide to learn about some of your transportation options.
• Identification (ID): You’ll have to provide one of the accepted forms of ID to vote.
• Accommodations: You have a right to accommodations so voting is accessible for you. This could include things like curbside voting, moving to the front of the line, using a special voting device, getting help with your ballot, and more.

Need help?

If you have questions regarding voting, or if you feel that any of your voting rights have been violated, please contact the Disability Rights Texas Voter Hotline at 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) or e-mail vote@drtx.org.

In recognition of Pro Bono Appreciation Week, we are highlighting our pro bono law firm partners and community organizations that have continued to support us in 2024:

• AT&T Legal Department
• Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing PLLC
• Baker McKenzie
• Bank of America Legal Department
• Dell Legal Department
• Dentons
• DLA Piper
• Dykema
• Eversheds Sutherland
• Jones Day
• JPMorgan Chase
• Kirkland & Ellis
• Lone Star Legal Aid
• McDermott Will & Emery
• McGuireWoods
• Perkins Coie
• Reed Smith
• Shell Oil Legal Department
• Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
• Sidley Austin
• Susman Godfrey
• TDECU Legal Department
• The ARC of Texas
• The Buzbee Law Firm
• The Impact Fund
• TOTAL Energies Inc Legal Department
• Verrill Dana LLP
• Vinson & Elkins
• Winston & Strawn
• Wright Close & Barger
• Yetter Coleman

Our thanks to our pro bono law firm partners and community organizations for their work and dedication to protecting the rights of Texans with disabilities.

In recognition of Pro Bono Appreciation Week, we are highlighting some of the victories that wouldn’t have been possible without our pro bono partners. This is the third of four posts we’ll publish this week.

Special education administrative matter – J.J. v Richardson ISD (TEA complaint)

DRTx special education attorneys, along with pro bono co-counsel from Kirkland & Ellis, filed an administrative appeal on behalf of a student in Richardson ISD when the student’s civil rights were violated by the use of unlawful restraint against the student.

Richardson ISD failed to comply with the Texas Administrative Code when restraining the student resulting in physical and emotional injuries and harm. Richardson ISD’s policies, practices, and customs violated the student’s rights, and continue to violate the rights of other students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and under Texas state law.

Ryan Melde, Jamieson Knoph, Jacqueline Scioli, and Anna Rotman, all of Kirkland & Ellis, advocated for the rights of this student – and continue to work pro bono to resolve this matter and improve Richardson ISD’s compliance with State and Federal law.

See our special education resources.

Our thanks to Kirkland & Ellis for making this victory for Richardson students with disabilities possible.

In recognition of Pro Bono Appreciation Week, we are highlighting some of the victories that wouldn’t have been possible without our pro bono partners. This is the second of four posts we’ll publish this week.

The Austin ISD SPED Case- J.R. et al v. AISD Cause No. 1:21-CV-00279

On March 29, 2021, Disability Rights Texas on behalf of several individual plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas challenging the Austin Independent School District’s (AISD) failure to timely evaluate students for eligibility for special education resources under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The plaintiffs alleged that an estimated 800 students were on a waiting list for initial evaluations, and twice as many students were late for their triennial reevaluations; due in large part to a shortage of school psychologists and lapses in services during the COVID-19 pandemic. AISD’s inaction violated both the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

David Peterson, a partner at Susman Godfrey, co-counseled this matter with the DRTx special education attorneys pro bono and achieved a $4 million dollar settlement outcome for the plaintiffs and all of the special education students in AISD. Because of their zealous advocacy – thousands of children in Austin will now be evaluated properly and timely for special education services – and hundreds will receive necessary compensatory services. This outstanding outcome would not have been possible without the tireless and unlimited pro bono support of Susman Godfrey and David Peterson.

Learn more about this case and see our special education resources.

Our thanks to Susman Godfrey partner David Peterson for making this victory for Austin students with disabilities possible.

In recognition of Pro Bono Appreciation Week, we are highlighting some of the victories that wouldn’t have been possible without our pro bono partners. This is the first of four posts we’ll publish this week.

The Voting Rights Case – Johnson et al v Bexar Co Cause No. SA-22-CV-00409-XR

On April 27, 2022, three visually impaired individuals and two non-profit organizations comprising visually impaired and otherwise disabled Texans—all of whom were eligible and wanted to vote by mail in secret and free from intimidation—filed suit against Defendant Jacquelyn F. Callanen, in her official capacity as the Bexar County Elections Administrator, and Defendant Bexar County, Texas. Plaintiffs were unable to vote by mail, in secret, and free from intimidation—because Defendants provided mail-in ballots to eligible voters in paper form only. Voting by mail in Bexar County was inaccessible to blind or low-vision voters, and other voters with disabilities that prevented them from marking a paper ballot.

William Logan, Jason Rudoff, Katy Preston, Rachel Thompson, and Michael Murphy, all of Winston & Strawn, along with co-counsel Eve Hill of Brown, Goldstein & Levy, litigated this case on behalf of the plaintiffs and all Texans with visual impairments and other disabilities that prevent them from completing a paper ballot. The DRTx attorneys, along with the zealous trial advocacy of all of the pro bono volunteer lawyers, obtained a phenomenal result for the Plaintiffs. As one of the most pivotal elections in American history approaches – DRTx and our pro bono partners have secured the rights of millions of Texans with disabilities to exercise their right to vote without barriers or obstruction.

The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) recently honored DRTx with the advocacy award for our relentless work in advancing the rights of Texans with disabilities to vote. Read more about the 2024 NDRN voting rights advocacy award and see our voting rights resources.

Our thanks to Winston & Strawn and Brown, Goldstein & Levy for making this victory for Texans with disabilities possible.

If you’ve been anywhere near a TV, radio, or even your own mailbox lately, you probably know we are in the midst of an election season. But are you ready to vote? Below are some important dates and other things to keep in mind so you can participate in the election if you are eligible.

Key dates:

• Deadline to register to vote: October 7
• Early voting starts: October 21
• Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail: October 25
• Early voting ends: November 1
• Election Day: November 5

Other things to help you prepare:

• Are you registered to vote? If you aren’t, learn how to get registered.
• If your info has changed since you last voted, update your name and/or address.
• Do you have the right kind of ID to vote? If you don’t have a photo ID, learn how people with disabilities may be able to get an exemption.
• Find out what you’ll be voting on by reviewing your sample ballot before you head to the polls.

Voting resources

Did you know we have voting resources to help eligible voters with disabilities participate in elections? Learn about your voting rights, alternative voting options, how to find a ride to the polls, and more. We also have voting videos in ASL.

Voting help

If you need assistance in registering to vote, if you have questions regarding voting, or if you feel that any of your voting rights have been violated, please contact the Disability Rights Texas Voter Hotline at 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) or e-mail vote@drtx.org.

Find a Ride Guide

Do you want to vote in the November 2024 election but need a ride to the polls? If you do, our Find a Ride Guide (Excel) may be able to help. The guide was put together by Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) staff and it includes information about different transportation options you can consider this election season. The Find a Ride Guide includes information about:

• public transportation,
• paratransit,
• taxis,
• rideshares,
• Uber and Lyft, and
• more.

For the transportation types listed above, the guide includes things like the names of transportation providers, phone numbers, websites, fares, accessibility options, etc.

The Find a Ride Guide is a spreadsheet. To access the guide, you need to download the file and open it in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

 

Download the Find a Ride Guide

 

The Find a Ride Guide is provided as a resource for people with disabilities and others to reference. The information in the guide was current at the time of publication, so you should verify the information with the transportation provider you are considering. DRTx does not provide or arrange rides to polling sites.

Need help?

If you are not able to use the Find a Ride Guide, we may be able to help. Fill out a Find a Ride Form and DRTx staff will relay the information provided in the guide.

You can also get help finding a ride by calling our Voting Rights Hotline at 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) or by sending an email vote@DRTX.org.