Advocating for Texans
with IDD

Helpful Resources

Here’s our most requested resources for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

• Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waivers: A waiver helps people with disabilities live and work in their community, instead of living in an institution – but hundreds of thousands of Texans are waiting on a waiver. Get step-by-step instructions to find your place on the waitlists or to join waitlists.
• The Arc of Texas Master Pooled Trust: Enroll in our Master Pooled Trust, a vital solution for managing your funds while preserving eligibility for government benefits. Since 1997, The Arc of Texas has managed the Trust for Texans with disabilities with pre-approval from the Social Security Administration and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
• IDEA Manual: A Guide for Texas Parents and Students on Special Education Rights: Plan your child’s education with this overview of requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), intended to ensure all students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
• Alternatives to Guardianship: Many Texans with IDD are placed under full guardianship despite having the ability to make their own choices. Explore biases in guardianship cases, alternatives to guardianship, and next steps needed to protect the rights of Texans with IDD.
• I’d Rather Be Working Guide: Work is a fundamental part of adulthood, and people with IDD have skills the workforce needs! This is a roadmap to understanding how you can work with your disability – how to get a job, navigate benefits like Medicaid and Social Security, and find employment services.
• Moving to Texas Resources: Wondering about insurance, medical care, services, school, equipment and more? Find answers and connect with other parents of children with disabilities through Navigate Life Texas. Additionally, you can find your Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority.