NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Community leaders, people with disabilities and their family members, educators, and professionals in the disability field packed a room at the DeKalb County Complex Friday, January 24. They were there to talk about how to grow opportunities for people with disabilities in Smithville.

The event was hosted by State Senator Mark Pody and the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities. It began with welcoming remarks from the Senator and a brief overview of the Council and how to find state disability resources.

The event then moved to smaller-group discussions about resources and concrete actions to support inclusion for people with disabilities in community life.

“It was amazing to watch people start connecting with each other,” Council Public Policy Director Lauren Pearcy said.  “The open discussion created so much energy and so many ideas about how to start change with resources that were right there in the room.”

Attendees committed to action on several ideas, including:

·         Organizing a support group for families impacted by disability.

·         Developing programs for people with disabilities at the local recreation center.

·         Sharing information about disability resources at public locations, including the Justin Potter Library.

Tecia Puckett Pryor is a local attorney and chair of the Council on Developmental Disabilities. She helped with the event and is planning to begin organizing a local support group.

“I’m a lifelong resident of Smithville,” Pryor said. “It was so exciting to see leaders and citizens getting together, and to see how much we all cared about creating more opportunities for people with disabilities right here in our town.

“I think we will see real change come out of this event,” Pryor said. “I’m grateful to Senator Pody and the Council for hosting the opportunity.”

 Senator Pody said, “I was thrilled to see what a success this event was. I know the community is going to do great things with the information and ideas that were generated. The Council and I will be here to support Smithville as it takes new steps to build a more inclusive city.” 

For more information about the event, contact Lauren Pearcy at lauren.j.pearcy@tn.gov, or 615-741-5019.

About the Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities is a state agency established to improve disability policies and practice, educate policymakers and the public, and build collaboration to create lasting, positive change for Tennesseans with disabilities and their families. The Council is the only state agency tasked with looking at how all the pieces of our disability system work together, identifying areas of need, and bringing different parts of government and outside groups together to tackle challenges and improve state services. For more information, visit www.tn.gov/cdd or follow us on Twitter (@TNCouncilDD) or Facebook.