Uncategorized Archives - Page 5 of 10 - Disability Rights Maryland

PABSS Program Anniversary

Posted on December 16, 2023

Celebrating PABSS Programming

The PABSS (Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security) program was established in 1999 to help people with disabilities gain or maintain employment.

What is PABSS?

The Social Security Administration grants funding to the designated Protection and Advocacy agencies (P&As), like DRM to implement the program. DRM’s PABSS program is key in removing barriers to employment for Marylanders with disabilities who want to work.

How does PABSS impact the community?

PABSS helps people with disabilities remove barriers to employment. This can include legal problems in the way of getting hired, getting to work, or addressing discrimination. dis

Example of how DRM helps clients through the PABSS program:

Through the Charting the Life Course Workshops, DRM brings student beneficiaries of Social Security age 14-21 and their parents together to develop their vision for a good life. Students are guided through what they need to know and do to prepare for future employment. We help them identify how to find or develop supports and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live.

Thanks to the PABSS program’s establishment 24 years ago, DRM, along with the 56 other P&As around the country, have supported people with disabilities who want to get a job or maintain their current employment. That’s worth celebrating!

Celebrating 48 Years of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Posted on November 29, 2023

IDEA aims to ensure students with disabilities have the same educational opportunities as students without disabilities.

What is the IDEA?

Previously known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees students with disabilities a free, appropriate public education.

Some of the main pillars of the IDEA are:

Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Appropriate evaluation
Parent and teacher participation
Procedural safeguards

How does IDEA impact the community?

At the time the IDEA was first enacted in 1975 as the EHA, more than 1 million children with disabilities had no access to the public school system and another 3.5 million were forced to attend segregated, ineffective schools. Today, thanks to the IDEA, children with disabilities have the right to attend school, to receive specialized instruction and individualized services and supports, and to be educated with their nondisabled peers as much as possible.

DRM’s Education Team works hard to ensure that students throughout Maryland can benefit from the rights given to them by the IDEA. For example, DRM:

Represents students in the IEP process when fundamental educational rights are at stake
Advocates against the use of restraint and seclusion
Advocates for students with disabilities to be educated with their nondisabled peers in general education settings as much as possible
Advocates for students with disabilities to have access to the general curriculum and to the opportunity to earn a high school diploma
Represents students in disciplinary matters and advocates for an end to the school to prison pipeline
Investigates abuse and neglect within the school setting to ensure that students with disabilities are safe and free from harm
Represents students and advocates to ensure that students aging out of the school system make a smooth transition to college, career or community

Happy Birthday IDEA! DRM looks forward to continuing its advocacy work on behalf of Maryland’s 110,000+ students with disabilities.

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.

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PABSS Program Anniversary

Celebrating 48 Years of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Assistive Technology Awareness Month

Celebrating PAVA Programming

Celebrating PADD Programming

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Celebrating PADD Programming