DRM has ensured Baltimore City residents who are deaf and hard of hearing now have equal access to Baltimore City’s CharmTV programming. Working closely with the Mayor’s office and other key stakeholders including the Maryland Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a plan was developed to implement Communication Access Real Time Translation (CART) captioning for CharmTV and ensure American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available for all public addresses.

DRM plans to hold 3 back-to-school disability rights fairs across the state beginning in September. The fairs, which will be free and open to the public, will provide information about disability rights and COVID vaccines, include listening sessions for communities to give feedback on DRM’s 2023 advocacy service plan, and offer voter registration. The first fair will be held on September 8th from 11am-4pm at the Bay Area Center for Independent Living (bayareacil.org) in Salisbury, MD. Follow along on social media and through our web site to stay informed about future fairs.

DRM increases public awareness of the numerous problems with Maryland Transit Authority’s (MTA) Paratransit services in this summer’s “Where’s My Ride” campaign. For years DRM together with CARS (Consumers for Accessible Ride Services) have fought to ensure MTA’s paratransit system provides safe and timely services. Paratransit is a public transit service for individuals with disabilities who have difficulty accessing fixed-route public transit. The service is an important piece of protecting the right of people with disabilities to have equal and meaningful participation in their communities. You can learn more about this important issue and hear from the people who continue to experience the negative impacts of lack of services. MobilityLink: Share Your Story - Disability Rights Maryland (disabilityrightsmd.org)

A recent in-depth article in the Baltimore Banner documents how children and young adults with behavioral health challenges are being housed long-term in hospital emergency rooms. Hundreds of individuals with complex needs are spending months if not years in health care facilities ill-equipped to serve them due to the severe shortage of appropriate placements. Part of the problem is that the state agencies involved are “not talking to each other in the way that they need to,” says DRM attorney Leslie Margolis. “These are systemic issues and they can’t be solved child by child by child.” DRM will continue to advocate on behalf of these individuals to address this growing problem and ensure that these individuals receive the appropriate services and supports to live productive lives in their own communities.