This public health crisis affects everyone. If you or your family member has special needs, special resources are available.
Special Needs and COVID-19 resources from The Arc of Texas:
You are not alone. We will get through this together.
Advocacy & Public Policy Resources
Congress has been working on legislation to provide relief to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arc of Texas supports The Arc of the United States and its legislative efforts to include people with disabilities, their family members, and direct support professionals (DSPs), as well as community-based services. While the legislation passed today by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic will help in some ways, many of these critical issues were ignored. See what was left out and what we support moving forward. Read more
Need to catch up on what happened with the third phase of relief legislation? This video from The Arc of the United States provides a clear explanation. Watch now
Explaining COVID-19 Resources
- Plain-language information on Coronavirus from Green Mountain Self-Advocates in English and in Spanish.
- COVID-19 prevention tips in American Sign Language (ASL) from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Tips on explaining Coronavirus to people with anxiety, IDD, or autism from Dr. Frank Del Rio, Psy.D., LPC, CART, on The Arc of Wichita County’s blog
- Coping tools and life-management strategies for adults living with Neuromuscular disabilities from NMD United
Education & Workforce Resources
- The rights of students with disabilities during COVID-19 school closures from Disability Rights Texas
- The rights of college students with disabilities during COVID-19 school closures from Disability Rights Texas
- Free access to screen reader, JAWS, and text-magnification software from Freedom Scientific
- Disability discrimination at work during COVID-19 outbreak from Disability Rights Texas
Finance & Housing Resources
- Financial resiliency tips for people with disabilities and their families from Center for Disability-Inclusive Community Development (CDICD)
- Tips for renters with disabilities during COVID-19 outbreak from Disability Rights Texas
- Evictions in Texas during COVID-19 outbreak from Disability Rights Texas
Estate planning attorney, Terry Garrett, is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is active in the Texas and Austin Bar Associations. She graduated with honors from Cornell University. She was on the Dean’s List at Wharton Business School. She earned her J.D. at Columbia Law School, receiving the Parker Award and a Mellon Fellowship.
She assists families of people with special needs, people planning for the retirement years and people administering estates.