DRM hosted its first Disability Rights Resource Fair at the Bay Area Center for Independent Living in Salisbury on September 8th. DRM’s Managing Attorney, Megan Rusciano, spoke about Supported Decision-Making as a new alternative to guardianship in Maryland. Attendees could also register to vote and receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

DRM’s next Fair will be on October 12th at Kennedy Krieger in Baltimore City from noon to 6:00 pm.

For more information contact Caroline Cerilli at CarolineC@DisabilityRightsMD.org.

In Maryland, more than half of all people with disabilities had annual household incomes below $15,000 in 2016. While many people with disabilities receive monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, SSI payments alone are usually not enough to afford market-rate housing: in 2020, the average monthly rent of a one-bedroom apartment in Maryland was $1,223, while monthly SSI payments were just $783.

Maryland’s eviction crisis is an affordable housing crisis.

If you are experiencing routine eviction filings by your landlord and cannot pay rent timely because of when your benefits arrive, you may have the right to a reasonable accommodation for an extended grace period to pay your rent.



Read more from The Baltimore Banner, “Filing for evictions is cheap and easy in Maryland. Tenants suffer.”

Election day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Polls are open from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

The Maryland Disabilities Forum for Candidates for Governor is on October 4, 2022, from 10:00 am to noon on Zoom. You can register here: 2022 Candidates for Governor Forum for Marylanders with Disabilities Tickets, Tue, Oct 4, 2022, at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

DRM’s Voter Hotline Bill of Rights and other materials on voting rights for people with disabilities are on DRM’s website at our voting resource page. For more information on how to register to vote or to check your registration status visit the Maryland State Board of Elections.

Join DRM and our Cross-Disability Supported Decision-Making Coalition partners for a webinar on the new law recognizing supported decision-making in Maryland. This virtual webinar will be on October 3rd from noon to 1:30 pm. We'll provide information about this new law that becomes effective at the beginning of October and highlight its importance for people with disabilities.

Mark your calendar and check our website in the coming days for the registration link.

DRM’s court action on behalf of individuals with serious mental illness incarcerated in Maryland’s prisons is pending in federal court. DRM is represented pro bono by the Venable law firm. DRM completed investigations in two of Maryland prisons and found individuals with serious mental illness segregated for weeks, months, and even in some cases years. Segregation can be 22 or more hours in a cell with or without a cellmate, in a cell that is smaller than an average parking space resulting in grave harm to individuals with serious mental illness. DRM’s investigative reports can be found here and here.