Success Stories
PRESS RELEASE: DRM and Partners Reach Agreement with Baltimore City to Improve Sidewalks and Ramps for People with Mobility Disabilities
December 18, 2024—Baltimore, MD— Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) and their legal partners Disability Rights Advocates, Fox & Robertson, and Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho, on behalf of a class of pedestrians with mobility disabilities, have reached a partial agreement with the City of …
Tim Scott’s Journey: From Cross-Country Cyclist to Pro Bono Attorney
What inspired you to volunteer as a pro bono attorney with DRM?My inspiration to volunteer goes back to when I rode my bike from Seattle to Washington, D.C. to raise money and awareness for people with disabilities. That journey, covering almost 4,300 …
Jim Rocap: Why Pro Bono Work is Essential
Did you have pro bono experience before volunteering with Disability Rights Maryland (DRM)? My pro bono work began in 1982. I represented a Black man on death row in Mississippi for over twenty years. Ultimately, he was removed from death row because …
Why Legislative Advocacy is Important
The laws and policies enacted each year during the Maryland legislative session heavily impact our daily lives. Last year, DRM and Chrys, as members of the Trans Rights Advocacy Coalition, successfully advocated for the passing of the Trans Health Equity Act, a …
Celebrating PADD Programming
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 …
DRM Celebrates the 31st Anniversary of the ADA
On the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Disability Rights Maryland (DRM) salutes its community, partners, and friends who were instrumental in forging and implementing this landmark legislation for people with disabilities. DRM is singularly proud of its accomplishments over the past year to actualize the principles of the ADA in Maryland. Continue Reading DRM Celebrates the 31st Anniversary of the ADA
Ivis
When Ivis was discharged from a nursing home, she soon realized family members would not be able to provide support for her basic needs such as bathing and getting dressed. Ivis came to DRM seeking assistance in obtaining in-home services. Within three …
Darius
Darius was facing expulsion from his high school for a minor behavioral incident and was transferred to eLearning, where he received all of his instruction at home, in isolation, through a computer. DRM requested and represented Darius in a meeting at his …
MD General Assembly Passes Bill to Eliminate Suspension for MD’s Youngest Students
With the passage of HB425/SB651 suspensions and expulsions for Pre-K through second grade students will be limited except in extreme circumstances. Schools must strengthen and implement currently used student support strategies such as creating behavioral intervention plans which are designed to foster …
Settlement Reached on MTA Mobility Paratransit System
After two years of data collection, litigation, and negotiation, Disability Rights Maryland (DRM), AARP Foundation Litigation (AFL) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) have signed a settlement agreement to address issues with the MTA Mobility paratransit system. The Agreement was submitted to …
Sarita
“Sarita,” who is blind, had difficulty obtaining employment, which she attributed to her criminal background that would emerge during the hiring process. DRM was able to expunge Sarita’s criminal record, opening the door to employment opportunities. Sarita quickly obtained work in the …
DRM & Venable Reach Proposed Agreement with DHMH
Two years ago, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) was sued by Jane Doe, an individual who, while in the custody and care of two separate DHMH facilities, was sexually assaulted twice, by two different patients, resulting in severe …
DRM Investigates, Finds Abuse of Students with Autism
DRM successfully resolved the cases of nine students with autism who faced abuse and segregation in Harford County Public Schools. DRM was alerted to a situation in Harford County in 2014 involving a segregated classroom of young students with autism who had reportedly been sprayed …
Keisha
DRM successfully helped “Keisha,” who is blind, pave the way to employment. Keisha came to us because she was having difficulty obtaining employment, and attributed this difficulty to her criminal background that would arise during the hiring process. DRM successfully expunged her records, …
Paul
DRM helped “Paul,” a 15-year-old in crisis, access DDA services so he can safely return to his mother’s home. Paul was a normally developing child before encephalitis resulted in intellectual disability, seizures, encephalopathy, and severe, aggressive and destructive behaviors. Firstly, DRM helped Paul obtain recommended …
