A Message from Us
Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) is working hard to stand together with Marylanders with disabilities and will continue to do all that we can to provide excellent services to our communities during this challenging time.
For legal assistance, we encourage you to call our intake department using the phone numbers listed below:
Phone: 410-727-6352 (EXT. 0)
Toll Free: 1-800-233-7201
TTY: 410-235-5387
Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. Please note that return calls may be made from blocked numbers since staff are working remotely.
Subscribe to our email list and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with our COVID-19 related updates and advocacy.
How We Can Help
Disability Rights Maryland recognizes the serious threat to the health, safety, and legal rights of people with disabilities posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Although DRM’s offices are currently closed, our staff is working remotely to ensure we continue to protect the rights of people with disabilities throughout Maryland.
Please contact us if you:
- Have questions about your legal rights during this time
- Are unable to access critical information
- Wish to speak with an attorney about a disability-related legal issue
We also need to hear from you about how institutions and services throughout the state are managing the impact of COVID-19. To ensure the safety of individuals with disabilities residing in facilities or receiving services in the community, employees, and our staff, we are gathering information from people who have been in facilities (including psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment centers) or involved in providing or receiving community-based services to tell us your concerns.
Please contact us if you observe or have problems, including:
In a facility:
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- You have not been given information about the signs of COVID-19, how to stay safe, and how staff will help you stay safe.
- Staff and visitors are coming into the facility with symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, fever, shortness of breath) or are not being screened for symptoms at the door. Information about COVID-19 should be posted at the entrance and around the facility.
- There are staffing shortages in the facility.
- You live in a small facility or group home where someone is sick and you can’t get physical distance to be safe.
- Staff are not being careful with personal hygiene to protect against COVID-19 (washing hands frequently or using hand sanitizer, staying 6 feet away when possible, wearing protective gear if caring for someone who is ill).
- You don’t have access to medications, food or other necessary items.
- You don’t have access to needed services.
- You are being abused or neglected, including extreme isolation, lack of human contact, and/or over–medication.
- You are being pressured to sign a do-not-resuscitate order (DNR).
- You are being denied aggressive treatment.
- You are in a high-risk group for complications from COVID-19 and/or are experiencing increased barriers to transitioning to a community placement.
- For youth in RTCs, you do not have access to education or IEP services.
In the community:
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- Your in-home assistance staffing changes or is not available.
- Your staffing has been impacted by COVID-19 and your needs are not being met.
- Your staff is not careful with personal hygiene (washing hands often, staying 6-feet away when possible, wearing protective gear to stop the spread of infection).
- You can’t get your medications.
- You don’t have access to food or supplies you need.
- You can’t access necessary telehealth services because you don’t have needed technology, phone minutes or internet services;
- You are being pressured to sign a do-not-resuscitate order (DNR).
- You are being denied aggressive treatment.
- For youth, you don’t have access to education or IEP services.
Last Updated: April 7, 2020
