Last month, both people with and without disabilities gathered for the first ever In This Together Summit to prepare for Disability Day on the Hill. The next day, representatives and allies from the disability community came together to advocate and meet with their legislators. For one group of students, this is not the first year they’ve prepared and spoken on the issues they care about with their legislators. These students are in it to make a difference and to speak up for their needs. 

The main office of the Tennessee Disability Coalition is located in Nashville, Tennessee and unfortunately was in the path of the storm that came through middle Tennessee on March 3, 2020. Our office was damaged, but is still standing. Our hearts go out to our friends and neighbors who sustained devastating losses.

Our work will continue but we will not be able to reside in our Nashville office while repairs are in progress. 

How to contact us as of March 18, 2020:

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) community-based transition students are learning new skills and preparing for the workforce with internships in local businesses. Tiffany Renfro, a transition coach, is dedicated to helping both students and employers understand why hiring students with disabilities is so important.

Name, MNPS Role

My name is Tiffany Renfro, Paraprofessional @ CBTP: Disaster Relief Efforts

Describe the work that you do with students. 

Most typical employees, unless they really like to work autonomously with their heads down and their doors closed, rely on their peers and colleagues for support. Since we all have different skills and levels of expertise in individual skill areas, it would be natural for us to turn to someone else for help with a task. For example, we know that Joan is a superb editor, so it would be great to have her “eyes” on this document before it goes out.