Texas Rehabilitation Association
17424 W. Grand Parkway, Suite 422.
Sugar Land, TX, 77479
T: 713.818.1852 •F: 281.343.0357
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Texas Rehabilitation Association congratulates Ted Thayer, winner of the National Rehabilitation Association Southwest Region Meritorious Service Award for 2005. TRA member Thayer has distinguished himself in so many arenas in which the rehabilitation process affects the lives of persons with disabilities. He has had leadership roles in the Texas Vocational Rehabilitation program where he coordinated all program activities for persons with neuromuscular and neurological disabilities and educated and inspired counselors who provided the front line services to those individuals. He coordinated all Texas Rehabilitation Commission Independent Living Programs and helped to develop a hardworking network of centers providing services and advocacy activities. He negotiated hospital agreements on behalf of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission and wrote successful grant proposals that resulted in more than $6,000,000,000 in funding for persons with severe disabilities. He planned and implemented the highly successful comprehensive Rehabilitation Services Program (for persons with spinal cord injury and brain injury with the goal in living independently) and Personal Assistance Services Program in Texas.

Now "retired," Ted is the Director of the Texas State Independent Living Council where he coordinates and consults with all Texas independent living centers and other consumer advocacy groups. Ted has also distinguished himself as a tacher with his vast knowledge of neuormuscular and neurological disabilities, epilepsy, srvices, assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering, independent living, and legislative and community advocacy. Ted has taught classes to students at Texas Woman's University, University of North Texas, and the University of Texas at Austin among others.

Ted has also lent his leadership skills to the Texas Rehabilitation Association and the Texas Rehabilitation Counseling Association as former President of TRCA and now TRA's President-Elect. Ted's deeds, dedication and leadership on behlaf of persons with disabilites and service to TRA and TRCA makes him an outstanding candidate for the Southwest Region's Meritorious Service Award. In addition to all these accomplishments, you will need to look far and wide to find a more entertaining and enthusiastic story teller, who can educate you about fishing, and recollect the history of how vocational rehabilitation came to be what it is today in Texas.