Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board

Prescription Drug Affordability Board, Press Event

Ben Jackson, Disability Rights Maryland Staff Attorney, joined with many coalition partners, patient advocates, and other supporters this past legislative session, to advocate successfully for a law creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. The legislation, which is the first-of-its-kind in the nation, creates a State Board that will monitor, assess, and offer recommendations regarding prescription drug prices, in an effort to make high cost prescription drugs more affordable for Marylanders.

With Gratitude to Our Board of Directors

Top:  Mike McGuire, Ryan Perlin, Esq., Tony Wright   Middle:  Rebecca Sinclair, Ryan Gill, MD, Robin Murphy, Esq., Laurie Wasserman, Esq. Bottom:  George Wilson, Esq., Susan Kadis, Kim Fusco, CPA, Neil Ellis, Esq. Absent:  Ken Capone, Chris Gunderson, Esq., Marlene Hamlin, Regina Kline, Esq., Vicki Mills, Amena Fine, MD, PhD, Adam Zimmerman, Esq. Listed left to right

DRM is fortunate to have a dedicated, thoughtful, and motivated 17 member board. Our sincerest gratitude for all that you do to promote and advance civil and human rights for people with disabilities.

Lauren Young's Article, 'Decriminalizing Disability' featured in Maryland Bar Journal

Lauren Young, DRM’s Director of Litigation

'Decriminalizing Disability’ written by Lauren Young, DRM’s Director of Litigation, is featured in June's Maryland Bar Journal. The article chronicles the historic patterns of discrimination committed by police towards those in mental health crises and features solutions to the ongoing issue. When a mental health crises occurs, the police are the first to respond to the call--which often leads to tragic results. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Letter of Findings issued to Baltimore City in August 2016, found that the Baltimore City Police Department routinely violated the rights of people with disabilities by using unreasonable force against individuals with disabilities and those in crisis, even when the individual committed no crime or was in restraints. Read Lauren’s article here , on page 64.

National Disability Voter Registration Week !

Observed July 15-19, 2019 National Disability Voter Registration Week, is an initiative across the United States to register voters with disabilities for the 2020 General Elections. To kick off the week, DRM’s Voting Advocate, Tracy Wright presented at  The League for People with Disabilities , and demonstrated how to use the Ballot Marking Device. DRM also implemented a "pledge to vote" campaign in an effort to remind people to register vote, and recruit volunteers for future voter awareness activities.

Learn more about the REV UP ( R egister, E ducate, V ote, U se your P ower) Campaign, which promotes full participation of people with disabilities in the political process!   #REVUP   #DisabilityVote19 . Information about the REVUP campaign can be found here .

Meet Rebecca, 2019 DRM Intern

“When I was looking for a summer internship, DRM stood out as a place that is engaged with the community and has a positive impact, and that has proved true during my internship.”   Rebecca G., Law Intern

Rebecca is a rising 2L law student from the New York University School of Law. Her summer internship focuses on education and housing work. Her internship duties include interacting with current and potential clients, learning how to use strategies to be a strong advocate, reviewing documents, and drafting informational materials regarding DRM’s clients’ rights, and community outreach. She initially became interested in disability rights because of a class she took as an undergrad called Anthropology of Disability, which prompted her to interview students with disabilities on campus about their experiences for a campus magazine. “Those students and their advocacy demonstrated to me how deeply rooted discrimination against people with disabilities is, even with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act on the books.” In law school, she has continued to see the ways in which society creates barriers for people with disabilities to access essential needs such as healthcare, housing, education, through her volunteer work at a soup kitchen in Manhattan and advocacy alongside classmates with disabilities on campus.

Erica Green, Recipient of DRM’s 2019 Excellence in Journalism Award

Erica L. Green, National Correspondent - Education, The New York Times

Erica L. Green, a native Baltimorean, covered the Baltimore City school system during her time at The Sun from April 2010 – March 2017 . Her coverage exposed everything from financial mismanagement to cheating on standardized tests. Her coverage has also helped reform how the school district served its most vulnerable populations, such as students with disabilities, and those who cycle through the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Her coverage won many awards including the 2015 Education Writers Association award for investigative journalism. She was also a 2014 finalist for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists, and part of the team named as a finalist for a 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the riots that gripped Baltimore.

DRM's honorees include Chris Van Hollen , United States Senator, Maryland, recipient of DRM’s Public Policy Award, Erica L. Green , National Correspondent - Education, The New York Times, recipient of DRM’s Excellence in Journalism Award, Patti Saylor , RNMS, recipient of DRM’s Gayle Hafner Grassroots Advocacy Award, Stephanie P. Hales , Partner, Sidley Austin LLP, Jennifer J. Bruton , Partner, and Daniel J. O'Brien , Associate, Venable LLP , recipients of DRM’s Legal Advocacy Awards. DRM is also very pleased to announce that the Awards will be bestowed on the honorees by Dr. Timothy P. Shriver , Chairman of the Special Olympics International. Purchase tickets here  Support DRM by becoming a sponsor of the 2019 Breaking Barriers Awards Gala

Get Involved! Looking for volunteer opportunities? DRM maintains a Pro Bono Referral Service where we match those people whom our resources are unable to serve with attorneys who are willing to provide free legal representation. If you are interested in a meaningful Pro Bono experience we encourage you to join our program! The PAIMI Advisory Council is always looking to increase its membership and affiliates! The PAIMI Council advises DRM’s staff and governing authority on policies and priorities to be carried out in protecting and advocating for the rights of individuals with mental illness in Maryland.

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