The Tennessee Disability Coalition’s annual disability scorecard is in, and for the second year in a row, the Volunteer State has received a letter D grade. In spite of its evaluation, the nonprofit acknowledged legislative work put forth by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee could improve some metrics.
Close to 1.7 million Tennesseans experience some form of disability, according to a news release. The coalition assesses practices, policies, opportunities and outcomes in nine categories for residents with disabilities, culminating in Tennessee’s final score.
This is the nonprofit’s third report.
Tennessee’s category grades
– Family caregiving support: F
– Access to care: F
– Housing: F
– Education: D
– Aging: C+
– Mental health access: D-
– Employment: C-
– Access to justice: C-
– Transportation: C-
Source: Tennessee Disability Coalition
Employment, housing, family caregiver support and education were of particular concern, according to a news release. Access to care, mental health access, transportation and aging were also assessed.
Among those categories is access to justice, a new sector grading Tennesseans with disabilities’ access to “the promise of life, liberty and justice.” The state received a C- as the coalition cited its concern for alleged mistreatment of children with disabilities in youth development centers, according to the report.
The state of Tennessee is the subject of a lawsuit regarding the matter, which came about after ProPublica reported a Knoxville juvenile detention center was illegally secluding children in its care, according to a news release.
Jeff Strand, the nonprofit’s director of public policy, said in a news release the scorecard data reflects the disability community’s feelings of being left behind in Tennessee’s record growth.
He said many regret moving to the state, question why their local hospital is closing or regret voting for candidates who refuse to prioritize their needs.
“Families are struggling to understand why their priorities are not Tennessee’s priorities,” he said.
Via email, Strand said the only thing Tennessee is lacking is the bold leadership and courage it requires to improve the lives of 1.7 million people living with disabilities in the state.
“Tennessee is, by now, internationally known for rolling out the red carpet for multibillion dollar corporations in automotive, health care and technology,” he said. “If we can roll out that same red carpet for Tennesseans with disabilities, we’d be rolling out a better Tennessee for all of us.”
DOCUMENT
KEY FINDINGS
– There are 23 home health care workers per 1,000 residents.
– TennCare reimbursement rates cover 75% of the actual cost of hospital care, contributing to 60% of Tennessee hospitals operating at a loss, with 45% at risk of closure.
– 45% of Tennessee teachers say they lack the support personnel to teach students with disabilities.
– Zero counties in Tennessee are affordable for a household with a disability to purchase a home.
– A household with a disability cannot afford the median rental unit in any county in the state.
– 44.7% of Tennessee renters aged 65+ are housing cost-burdened.
Carol Westlake, the executive director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, said in a news release the state’s general assembly took some of the nonprofit’s recommendations from last year’s report seriously.
Ultimately, the steps taken weren’t enough to raise Tennessee’s scorecard grade, but they prevented it from decreasing, Westlake said.
“Our scorecard is meant to educate and inform our state leaders and the public to make informed decisions about living in Tennessee with a disability,” she said. “Obviously, a barely passing grade, especially two years in a row, isn’t the kind of news we like giving.”
Contact Leah Hunter at lhunter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.