Disability Rights Maryland extends our condolences on the recent passing of former delegate James Hubbard, a steadfast champion of people with disabilities and their families for many years. Delegate Hubbard worked tirelessly to guarantee rights, expand community services, and ensure protections for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His fearless advocacy led to services for youth transitioning from special education to adult life, children and adults waiting for critical community services, people with disabilities desiring to get out of nursing facilities for support in their own homes, privacy protections for people with disabilities, the Waiting List Equity Fund, and much more.
Delegate Hubbard leaves a legacy in the disability community and will be sorely missed. He challenges all of us who pursue justice to build upon his legacy for the next generation of children and adults with disabilities.
DRM is excited to announce that Jacqueline Phillips, Office Assistant, is the recipient of a “Service with Distinction” award from Maryland Nonprofits! The award recognizes frontline, essential nonprofit employees who serve with significant commitment, integrity, compassion and caring, and with outstanding support towards their organization’s mission. Jackie will be honored during Maryland Nonprofits’ 30th Anniversary event on July 28, 2022, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD.
Jackie has been with DRM for 23 years. She has welcomed and assisted thousands of visitors and callers providing a personalized experience for each individual based on their needs. She is always ready to lend a helping hand. Jackie shows exceptional kindness, vibrant energy, positivity and attention to detail in all she does. We are very fortunate to have her as part of the DRM team.
Congratulations to Jackie on this wonderful achievement!
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) reaffirms our commitment to protect and advance the fundamental rights of people with disabilities. Disability communities have long faced systemic violations of bodily autonomy including forced sterilization and increased rates of sexual violence. The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs disproportionately impacts people with disabilities who already face significant barriers accessing healthcare, especially people with disabilities from communities of color, who identify as LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those who live in poverty.
We are concerned about the decision’s implications which may lead to further removal of longstanding constitutional rights that people have come to rely and build their lives upon for decades. The Dobbs decision, leaves other civil rights, including the ability to choose who a person marries or has a relationship with, and access to other forms of reproductive health care, in jeopardy.
Whenever people with disabilities’ civil rights are threatened, we stand ready to defend these challenges. DRM remains steadfast in our dedication to advancing equality and self-determination for people with disabilities and zealously advocating for a world in which fundamental rights are guaranteed for everyone.
DRM has continued its campaign to educate the public, including legislators, to put pressure on the state’s paratransit provider to respond to rider complaints. Paratransit is a shared-ride public transit service for individuals with disabilities who have difficulty riding fixed-route public transit. The service is an important piece of protecting the right of people with disabilities to have equal and meaningful participation in their communities.
In our state, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) oversees MobilityLink paratransit service. MobilityLink riders use the service to get to work or class, as well as medical appointments, religious worship, and visits with loved ones. Sadly, MobilityLink has failed its riders, who commonly report serious issues with the service, including:
Late or missed rides, leading to riders being left alone, waiting for hours, often in the cold or heat, or in the dark (see Floyd and Gwen’s stories);
Long onboard travel times causing riders to miss important activities (see Brandon andTroy’sstories);
No access to backup vehicles and a triage system when riders are left stranded (see Tierra and Keyonna’s stories);
Difficulty finding out the status and location of rides;
Vehicles in disrepair, as well as being dispatched without straps to ensure safe transport for riders who use wheelchairs; and
Staff shortages causing poor service.
If you are interested in sharing your story with your Maryland elected officials, local council people, and MTA officials, please see the below sample letter, which includes space to include your own story or words. The following links will help you share your story:
Thank you for taking the time to inform and educate the public about the current state of MobilityLink and issues impacting people with disabilities!
Dear Elected Official:
I would like to tell you about the Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) paratransit, MobilityLink, a very important service meant to provide transportation to people with disabilities who have difficulty using other types of transportation, like the bus, light rail, and metro. As you may know, Maryland’s MobilityLink service underperforms compared to the other types of public transportation services being run by the MTA. This failure endangers the health and safety of riders and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Marylanders with disabilities who use MobilityLink live busy lives—they have things to do, and places to be. MobilityLink is the only means of transportation for many riders, who often lack access to their own vehicle. Without reliable transportation, Marylanders with disabilities cannot travel to work, attend class, receive medical care, visit loved ones, and participate in religious worship. MobilityLink should protect the right of people with disabilities to participate equally in their communities, but the service has failed to do so.
Poor MobilityLink service really hurts riders. Whether day or night, rain or shine, riders are left stranded because their ride is late or not coming at all. Riders traveling for medical services miss care, contributing to negative health outcomes. Disturbingly, the MTA has no back up service in place to locate and assist stranded MobilityLink riders. Since MobilityLink service is so unreliable, many riders report a fear of leaving home, only traveling when absolutely necessary.
[Please use this space if you would like to add your own thoughts or personal story.]
Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) Attorney Megan Rusciano received The Arc Maryland’s 2022 Outstanding Advocate of the Year award. The award honors individuals whose advocacy leadership on behalf of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families led to increased rights for persons with IDD to live inclusive lives.
Megan was recognized at The Arc’s annual May 2022 Awards Ceremony for her tireless efforts in founding and leading a broad statewide Coalition of stakeholders to establish Supported Decision Making (SDM) as an alternative to guardianship in Maryland. Megan’s unwavering commitment to self-determination and alternatives to guardianship led to every member of the Coalition, including people with disabilities, state agencies, attorneys, and families, supporting SDM legislation. The legislation successfully passed the first year it was introduced.
Megan expressed her gratitude for receiving this honor “It truly took a village to get us here—and it wouldn’t have been remotely possible without the work and dedication of our bill sponsors, Supported Decision-Making Coalition, the DD Coalition, my boss and colleagues at DRM who supported and made space for this work, and most importantly people with disabilities and those who amplify their voices. People who reminded me and all of us—it doesn’t matter how you communicate, how you use your voice—it must be heard.”
Disability Rights Maryland applauds Megan for her leadership skills and countless hours devoted to improving the lives of people with disabilities.
