A branch of Texas state government, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was established in 1949 to oversee and administer the state's public school system. Dedicated to equal educational opportunity, the TEA's Non-Discrimination Policy disallows discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or disability. Access to career and technical education opportunities are likewise provided in a nondiscriminatory manner. On Our Own, Feeling Proud describes the vocational opportunities offered by the TEA in the early 1970s for persons with disabilities and the personal and professional benefits that result.