Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability

A project of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) Public Policy Team, each year the VKC and The Arc Tennessee collaborate to produce a collection of stories that highlight the challenges individuals with disabilities and their families face as they navigate service systems and supports. Booklets are shared with Tennessee legislators during Disability Day(s) on the Hill and the Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C., to educate them with first-hand accounts from constituents in their districts.

Stories are collected by students from Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities, who interview the families as part of a course assignment. The students enrolled in the Belmont University courses are paired with a Community Partner agency not only to collect stories, but also to volunteer a set number of service hours as a component of their course requirements.