The City of Frisco is transforming its downtown Rail District into a more walkable and welcoming destination as part of its preparations for the upcoming World Cup events at Toyota Stadium. While the renovations promise long-term benefits for the community, construction created unexpected challenges for local businesses, patrons, and residents navigating the area on a daily basis.

For community members like Best Buddies Ambassador Tysen Churchman, the changes directly impacted daily life. Construction blocked business entrances and sidewalks, created shifting parking conditions, and left loose gravel throughout walkways. As someone who travels independently to his job at Summer Moon, Tysen found the changing environment made it more difficult to navigate safely and confidently.

Recognizing the importance of ensuring accessibility remained a priority throughout the project, Best Buddies leaders Katie Boone, Tysen Churchman, and Ryan Falcon met with city officials to share concerns and advocate for the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Rather than speaking on behalf of the community, the City of Frisco invited self-advocates directly into the conversation. The group, made up of participants from the Best Buddies Ambassador program who called themselves the “Ambassador Advocacy Group,” worked alongside city leaders to provide valuable feedback and firsthand perspectives on accessibility challenges throughout the construction process.

The City responded enthusiastically, bringing the ambassadors into ongoing discussions about accessibility planning. Every six weeks, members of the advocacy group met with city representatives, toured Main Street, reviewed project plans, answered questions, and offered suggestions to help ensure the renovation remained accessible for all residents and visitors.

These meetings created an opportunity for meaningful collaboration and trust-building between the city and the disability community. By including self-advocates in the planning process, Frisco demonstrated the value of hearing directly from those most impacted by accessibility decisions.

The collaboration culminated in March 2026 during the opening ceremony for the new 4th Street pedestrian crosswalk, an important accessibility improvement designed to create safer pedestrian access throughout the district.

This partnership serves as a powerful example of advocacy in action. By listening to diverse perspectives and including individuals with disabilities in decision-making processes, the City of Frisco helped create solutions that benefit the entire community. Improved accessibility supports not only individuals with disabilities, but also families, children, older adults, and visitors, while helping businesses remain connected to customers throughout the renovation process.

Together, Best Buddies self-advocates and city leaders demonstrated how collaboration can create stronger, more inclusive communities where everyone has the opportunity to be heard and participate.