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Assistive Technology Awareness Month

Posted on November 20, 2023

November is Assistive Technology Awareness Month, a time to celebrate how technology positively impacts the lives of people with disabilities.

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology is any tool or system that helps people with disabilities do things, be more independent, and improve their overall quality of life.

Here are some examples:

· Wheelchairs and Mobility Aids: These help people move around on their own.

· Communication Aids: Tools that assist people with communication difficulties.

· Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants: Improve or restore hearing.

· Screen Readers and Voice Recognition Software: Help those with visual or motor disabilities use computers.

· Adaptive Keyboards and Mouse Devices: Make computer use easier for those with fine motor skill limitations.

· Prosthetic Limbs and Orthotic Devices: Support and enhance mobility.

· Smart Home Technology: Can be adapted to control the home environment.

· Sensory Aids: Help those with sensory impairments interact with their surroundings.

These examples show just a fraction of the diverse range of assistive technologies available. The goal of assistive technology is to remove barriers and provide equal access and opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Any device that removes a barrier can be assistive technology!

Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the main law for special education. The law states that the team who develops a student’s individualized education program (IEP) must consider their need for assistive technology devices and services. Assistive technology can help students in all parts of their education. This includes training for the student and their parents to support them.

How to Get Assistive Technology on a Limited Income

Outside of school, people can get assistive technology through Maryland Medicaid and home and community-based waiver programs, funded by Medicaid.

Maryland Medicaid is a lifeline for many individuals who need durable medical equipment, assistive technology, and/or home modifications to lead full, independent lives. To see what programs you might be eligible for, contact Maryland Access Point (MAP).

Try Assistive Technology for Free

There’s a free resource for trying assistive technology. The Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MDTAP) has a loan library. It lets people explore and test assistive technology before making a commitment. Visit the MDTAP website for more info.

Let’s ensure everyone has the tech they need to thrive!

Assistive technology is a necessity, not a luxury. This Assistive Technology Awareness Month, let’s appreciate programs like Maryland Medicaid and resources like MDTAP that enable individuals with disabilities to access Assistive Technology.

Man smiling and holing an 'I voted' Sticker

Celebrating PAVA Programming

Posted on October 28, 2023

DRM’s PAVA program aims to ensure individuals with disabilities can fully participate in the electoral process.

What is the PAVA program?

The Protection & Advocacy for Voting Accessibility (PAVA) program was established in 2003 as part of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was signed on October 29, 2002. HAVA provides funding for accessible voting systems. It guarantees the right to a private and independent vote for people with disabilities. Under the PAVA program, P&As have a mandate to help ensure that individuals with disabilities participate in the electoral process through voter education, training of poll officials, registration drives, and polling place accessibility surveys.

PAVA empowers DRM to:

Inform individuals with disabilities about their voting rights through events, institutions, and online platforms.
Facilitate voter registration and conduct training sessions.
Manage a dedicated voting hotline and email for receiving voter complaints and aiding in the investigation of obstacles faced by individuals with disabilities in exercising their voting rights.
Investigate circumstances that may hinder individuals with disabilities from voting.
Actively engage in and bolster coalitions dedicated to advancing voting rights.
Offer testimonies in favor of legislation supporting the voting rights of people with disabilities, and oppose bills that run counter to these rights.

Upcoming Elections in Maryland

In 2024, Marylanders will have an opportunity to vote in both a Primary Election on May 19, 2024 and General Election, November 5, 2024.

The deadline to register to vote in the Primary Election is April 23, 2024. The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is October 15, 2024.

Information about how to register, accessibility and more: Here

Celebrating PADD Programming

Posted on October 4, 2023

We are excited to celebrate the anniversary of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) Program.

What is the PADD Program?

Congress established the PADD program in 1975 as the first Protection and Advocacy (P&A) program to protect the human and civil rights of people with developmental disabilities. The PADD program was a part of Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1975 in response to the horrific conditions that were exposed at Willowbrook State School. An investigation of Willowbrook, a New York state institution for people with intellectual disabilities, revealed widespread abuse and neglect and sparked a national movement to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

How does PADD Impact the Community?

The PADD program is designed to provide a safety net for people with developmental disabilities and to ensure they have access to the services and supports they need. This includes investigating allegations of abuse and neglect, advocating for the rights of people with developmental disabilities in legal and administrative proceedings, providing information and referral services, and educating the public about the rights of people with developmental disabilities.

For example, DRM’s PADD program has helped draft and advocate for the End the Wait Act, which passed in 2022. Several of Maryland Medicaid’s home and community-based services programs have extensive waitlists, with some applicants waiting up to 10 years to access services. In 2021 there were 3,694 people on the waiting list for Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) services, 6,221 children with autism on the Autism Waiver Registry, and over 20,000 people on the Home and Community-Based Options Waiver waitlist (despite there being approximately 1,100 unused slots). The End the Wait Act requires the state to develop a plan to cut the Medicaid waitlists in half by fiscal year 2024.

Additionally, DRM has assisted people with developmental disabilities by helping to shut down an unsafe public residential institution, abolishing the payment of subminimum wage to individuals with disabilities working in the state of Maryland, ensuring that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have access to vaccines, and spearheading the passage of a Supported-Decision Making bill.

Together with our partners – the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities – DRM continues to work every day to create a more independent, inclusive and just society for people with developmental disabilities.

4 older adults outside smiling (one in a wheelchair, one with a walker, and two with canes) and a worker

Celebrating 30 Years of PAIR Programming

Posted on August 11, 2023

We are excited to celebrate the anniversary of the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) Program.

What is the PAIR Program?

Congress established the PAIR Program in 1993 under an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act. With PAIR Program funding, DRM protects and advances the legal and human rights of people with physical, hearing or vision disabilities.

What type of advocacy does the PAIR Program fund?

DRM used PAIR Program funding to help Baltimoreans who are d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing engage in local politics.

In 2021, DRM began working with a resident of Baltimore who is hard-of-hearing and has a keen interest in politics at all levels. Our client was extremely frustrated because virtual meetings hosted by Baltimore City were not accessible for them. These meetings were broadcast live on a platform called CharmTV.

DRM took action! We wrote a letter to the mayor highlighting our concerns about how d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens were being denied meaningful participation in the City’s programs, and stressing the City’s obligation to make all programs and services accessible. After several meetings involving DRM, our client, the City officials, and with the support of the Maryland Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, we achieved some positive outcomes.

The City agreed to incorporate American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for public addresses and introduced Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioning. CART captioning uses a special kind of keyboard to provide accurate translations that appear on screens, laptops, and devices. Further, the mayor’s office created a Frequently Asked Questions document and internal resource guide to make sure meetings are accessible to everyone.

DRM’s advocacy, funded by the PAIR Program, has the potential to impact the population of over 117,100 individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf in at least one ear in Baltimore City.

We are happy to be able to serve more people, creating a more integrated and just society, thanks to funding from PAIR program.

Take Survey to Determine Our 2024 Priorities

Posted on August 2, 2023

Every year we ask the community which disability-related legal issues need to be addressed. The survey results guide the focus of DRM’s work over the next year. We especially want to hear from people with disabilities, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), and others affected by intersectional discrimination and oppression.

There are so many issues we would like to tackle, but our resources are limited. We need to focus on the most important needs in our communities to make the greatest impact.

Here are 4 ways to take the survey by September 7^th:

1. Click here to submit online.

2. Print a survey using link below and mail to Disability Rights Maryland 1500 Union Ave # 2000, Baltimore, MD 21211

3. Email a completed survey to Feedback@DisabilityRightsMD.org

4. Call 410-727-6352 ext. 0 to complete over the phone or request to complete in-person

Online Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3TPV8MC

Printable survey: https://disabilityrightsmd.org/wp-content/uploads/ASP-Survey.FY2024.pdf

Encuesta en Español: https://disabilityrightsmd.org/wp-content/uploads/ASP-Survey.FY20241-Espanol.docx

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Assistive Technology Awareness Month

Celebrating PAVA Programming

Celebrating PADD Programming

Celebrating 30 Years of PAIR Programming

Take Survey to Determine Our 2024 Priorities

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