|
It’s the time of year when we love to binge on our favorite holiday movies. Even though we can quote the script word for word, we watch anyway—because we like the characters, the message, and a story with a happy ending.
We have a story for you—but we're not yet sure of the ending.
Once upon a time in Texas
Colton and Tyler are young men with autism who aspire to work in tech. Colton wants to be a computer systems analysist. Tyler is a talented artist aiming for a career in animation. To gain the skills needed to pursue their goals, they were receiving specialized post-secondary training—that accommodates their disabilities—through a Texas Workforce Solutions (TWS) program.
The plot thickens
Colton and Tyler—along with seven other young men with autism—were in the middle of this specialized training when the program came to a screeching halt. With no notice, reason, or comparable alternatives, TWS abruptly ended its contract with the training provider, leaving all of them with an uncertain future.
DRTx enters the scene
The group contacted Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) to see how we might help. DRTx filed multiple complaints on behalf of the students with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) against TWS.
A happy ending? We hope.
The complaints quickly gained the attention of the DOE who has already contacted us. We will continue to advocate for these men to get the training they need to pursue tech careers.
Be part of their story
For every person like Colton or Tyler, there are thousands more Texans with disabilities who are unable to access the necessities of life such as jobs, healthcare, education, and housing.
Make sure they have successful endings to each one of their stories with a year-end donation to DRTx. Your gift of $10, $20, $30 or more will help us continue our critical work of ensuring Texans with disabilities have equal access to the things that all of us need.
And for those of you who give $125 OR raise that much for us on Facebook by the end of this year, you’ll get our “I’m a Champion for Inclusion” t-shirt as our thank you. It’s not available in our merch store or anywhere else—it’s an exclusive gift for our year-end donors at this level.
| 
