DRM Celebrates the
32nd Anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
|
|
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and guarantees equal opportunities to participate in community life, was enacted 32 years ago. This landmark legislation has enabled DRM to ensure that Marylanders with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. This year's highlights of DRM’s accomplishments include:
-
30,000 people with developmental disabilities benefited from a state-mandated priority for the COVID-19 vaccine due to DRM’s 2021 federal lawsuit against five Maryland jurisdictions.
-
20,000 deaf and hard of hearing individuals have equal access now to Baltimore CharmTV resulting from DRM’s agreement with the City to use closed captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation in all broadcasts.
In recognition of the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, Judith Heumann, an internationally recognized disability rights advocate and namesake of DRM’s Judith Heumann Champion of Justice Award, discusses the history of the ADA on the ADA Live! show.
|
|
Maryland Nonprofits Honors DRM Office Assistant Jacqueline Phillips |
|
DRM is excited to announce that Jacqueline Phillips, Office Assistant, is the recipient of a Service with Distinction Award from Maryland Nonprofits! The award recognizes frontline, essential nonprofit employees who serve with significant commitment, integrity, compassion, and caring, and with outstanding support towards their organization’s mission. Jackie will be honored during Maryland Nonprofits' 30th Anniversary event on July 28, 2022, from 6:00 PM -9:00 PM at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD.
For 23 years Jackie has welcomed and assisted thousands of visitors and callers providing a personalized experience for each individual based on their needs. She is always ready to lend a helping hand. Jackie shows exceptional kindness, vibrant energy, positivity, and attention to detail in all she does. DRM staff are very fortunate to have her as part of DRM’s team.
Congratulations to Jackie on this wonderful achievement!
|
|
Meet DRM’s Summer 2022 Interns |
|
DRM is hosting 8 law school students and one undergraduate student this summer. These energetic interns provide invaluable assistance to our staff while learning more about the legal rights of people with disabilities. |
|
|
|
Courtney, a rising 3rd-year law student at the University of Maryland, is Vice President of the University Student Government Association and founder of the UMD Disabled Law Students Association. They are passionate about disability justice, health justice, and mental health advocacy. Courtney came to DRM because disability rights attorneys completely changed their life, and they hope to pay that forward. |
|
|
|
Joshua, a rising junior at Princeton University, is studying sociology and is interested in the intersections of race, criminal justice, and disability law.
Last January, when Joshua had the opportunity to shadow DRM’s Leslie Margolis he became very interested in DRM’s advocacy work. During that time he acquired a greater understanding of disability law and the legal assistance DRM provides which led Joshua to the decision to join DRM this summer. He now plans to apply for law school after he graduates.
|
|
|
|
Jill, a rising 2nd-year law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, is from Western Maryland and graduated in 2021 from McDaniel College before starting at Carey Law this past fall. She is passionate about applying the law to improve access and opportunities for people with disabilities and plans to pursue a career in public interest law and legislative policy work. Jill indicates that she appreciates the opportunities DRM provides to participate in client-centered representation while working on broader, systemic issues. |
|
|
|
Madeline, a rising 3rd-year law student at the University of Baltimore School of Law, is passionate about promoting equity and equality and has a strong interest in mental health and disability advocacy. Upon graduation, she worked in management and sales for just over a decade before starting law school. She is excited about embarking on a new career and working to make a difference in people's lives. |
|
|
|
Kasim is a rising 2nd-year law student at the University of Maryland Frances King Carey School of Law. He says “I came to DRM because I love helping people! Helping one person doesn’t create great change for the world, but it changes the entire world for that one person, which makes everything worth it!”
|
|
|
|
Kendall, a rising 2nd-year law student at Elon University School of Law came to DRM because she believes that people with disabilities should be fully included in all aspects of life, a value ingrained in DRM’s mission. Before entering law school, Kendall worked as a therapist providing services to young children with autism. |
|
|
|
Nell, a rising 2nd-year law student from Lincoln, Nebraska, attends the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She hopes to dedicate her career to creating a more equitable society. Nell shares that she was drawn to work with DRM after reading an article that criticized the ease at which many companies quickly moved to remote work during the pandemic even though prior to the pandemic companies would not offer those same kinds of accommodations for people with disabilities. |
|
|
|
Sydney, a rising 3rd-year law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and grew up in Shanghai, China until age 18. After college, she worked as an immigration paralegal for two years before attending law school. Sydney shares that she has developed an interest in how disability and the law intersect, and the role the law can play in creating a more equitable world for individuals with disabilities. This summer she learned that disability law intersects with almost every other type of law and is broader and more diverse than she ever imagined.
|
|
DRM Mourns the Loss of Former Delegate James Hubbard |
|
Disability Rights Maryland staff are deeply saddened by the recent passing of former Maryland delegate James Hubbard, a steadfast champion of people with disabilities and their families for many years. In 2011 Delegate Hubbard received DRM’s Public Policy Award to recognize his unwavering commitment and effective efforts to guarantee rights, expand community services, and ensure protections for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His fearless advocacy led to services for youth transitioning from special education to adult life, children and adults waiting for critical community services, people with disabilities in nursing homes to live in their own homes in the community, privacy protections for people with disabilities, the Waiting List Equity Fund, and much more. Delegate Hubbard leaves a legacy in the disability rights movement and will be sorely missed. He challenges all of us who pursue justice to build upon his legacy for the next generation of children and adults with disabilities. |
|
DRM is committed to advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities. Please consider a contribution to partner with us in achieving our goals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
