MDoD NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Please take a few minutes to complete the MDoD survey to help them create the next State Disabilities plan. Tell them what is most important to you.
·What is working?
·What is not working?
·What would you like to see in the future?
They want the plan to reflect your priorities and goals. Give your honest feedback and suggestions for ways to improve the policies and systems that impact Marylanders with disabilities. Share the survey with your friends, family and community! The more input, the better our plan will be!
If you need the survey in an alternative format, please contact Yesheva Kelly, yesheva.kelly@maryland.gov or 410-767-3659.
The Maryland Disabilities 2020-2023 Plan is linked here as a reference
As the “Voice of the Caregiver” the Maryland Commission on Caregiving wants to know more about the experiences of family caregivers in the state and they want your help!
Family caregivers are people who assist adults aged 18 or older with disabilities, illnesses, diseases, or limitations that make it hard for them to take care of themselves. Caregivers help with things like personal care, household chores, managing money, arranging services from others, or regularly visiting to check on how they are doing.
MCoC has developed a 15-minute online and anonymous survey that asks questions about the person being cared for and the caregiver’s knowledge of available programs and priorities for supports and services. If you care for someone, they would appreciate it if you could take the time to complete the survey through the link below. If you aren’t a caregiver but know other caregivers, please consider sharing this information via copy and paste via email to them so they can obtain as many responses as possible.
Results from the survey will be shared publicly with special attention to legislators and the Departments of Human Services, Disabilities, Aging, and Health to improve policies and programs for MD caregivers just like you!
The Caregiver survey will remain open until December 31, 2023.
The Maryland Assistive Technology (AT) Program, in partnership with TransCen Inc., is recruiting 2 young adults with disabilities between the ages of 18-24 to serve as Maryland Assistive Technology Champions.
AT Champions will collaborate with the Maryland AT Program to develop social media content related to assistive technology, including videos, blog posts, material development, and AT fabrication. Maryland AT Champions will also work with AT Champions from other states in the mid-Atlantic region.
6-Month Focus on:
AT Awareness, Fabrication, Activism, Funding, and Outreach
DETAILS
The ideal candidate(s) will be creative, excited to share their passion for assistive technology, and eager to develop leadership skills. Candidates should have some personal experience with assistive technology and tools for people with disabilities.
TO APPLY
In-person elections happen on November 8, 2022, but early voting has already begun. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers voting, so polling places should be accessible and offer support if needed due to disability. For more information on the ADA and voters with disabilities, please visit the ADA website on voting linked here.
In this linked article, Social Security outlines how to support Voters with Disabilities Participate in the Democratic Process via the Election Assistance Commission.
You can call 866-Our-VOTE - a non-profit Election Protection group - to speak to people about voting questions and get ideas on assistance. State election websites also have a menu item for "accessible voting". For example, here is the state of Maryland's webpage for Voters with Disabilities.
Also, the Center for Democracy and Civic Life has Voter Information posted here for Maryland and all other states. UMBC has a ballot collection box on our accessible campus in The Commons (available until 8p on Election Day 11/8) - check your Official Election Mailing, or online for the polling place/option that works best for you.
Voting in Maryland - How to register, find your polling location, etc.
Want to know more about candidates in the context of disability - RespectAbility.Org sends out a detailed questionnaire to candidates - the 2022 RespectAbility.org Maryland Voter Guide is linked here. Other states/responses are also within their website.
Voting in Virginia
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/
The
ARC of Northern Virginia had a forum with Congressional candidates to
discern where they stand on disability issues in August which can be
viewed at https://thearcofnova.org/events/2022-meet-the-candidates-forums/.
Additional campus-based resources for people with disabilities and their allies include: