Become a Changemaker Through Partners in Policymaking®

Take your advocacy to new heights through Partners in Policymaking®! Maryland’s year-long program prepares adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), parents, and family members of children and adults with IDD to be effective advocates at the local, state, and federal levels.

Through 12 sessions, Partners in Policymaking® participants will learn about systems change: creating, working towards, and achieving a vision of shared values about people with disabilities. Partners graduates often become lifelong agents of change in the community.

This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,262,502 with 100% funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Celebrate Innovations at SpArc Tank Ig-Nite

November 20th - Ten Oaks Ballroom Clarksville, MD

Continue the celebration of The Arc Maryland's 65th Anniversary this fall at SpArc Tank Ig-Nite! Our hallmark grant initiative, SpArc Tank, is back for our 6th year, offering opportunities for organizations and individuals to pitch ideas for the funding of innovative projects, new technology, resources, and more solutions to improve access to independent living, inclusion, and equity for people with disabilities.

Ig-Nite is an extraordinary evening and time to connect with other leaders in the IDD and innovation spaces, with good food, creative cocktails, a silent auction and more! Come celebrate with us on November 20th at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville. Early-Bird tickets are on sale now through the button below! Also, seize the opportunity to strengthen and support innovative projects from non-profits as an Ig-Nite Sponsor. Review sponsorship levels below to be part of the big day and make an impact as a project funder!

Does your organization have an innovative idea it would like to present for funding? Applications for SpArc Tank Grant Funding are open until October 7th. Proposals selected to advance to the final round will be part of the SpArc Tank pitches, live at the Ig-Nite event on November 20th! Get started with the application process below!

MCE Leadership: The Arc Kicks Off 2025-2026 Class Year

Say hello to the 2025-2026 class of MCE Leadership: The Arc! Last Thursday and Friday, 29 employees of Maryland’s 9 local chapters of The Arc began their year-long journey to develop and fine-tune their personal leadership styles and better support their organization's employees, people with IDD, and families. Thank you to UMBC Training Centers' Center for Leadership and Innovation and Marc Kolp for their facilitation!

Amplify Your Advocacy Today: Join an Empowering Partners Self-Advocacy Group in Your Community!

Self-Advocacy groups across Maryland are making positive waves right now! Join your local group, supported by the "Empowering Partners" initiative, meeting monthly, and be empowered to create the change you want for yourself and your friends. Through the button below, you can find out about local meetings happening next month to get started and make an impact!

This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,262,502 with 100% funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Medicaid Recipients Sue State Over 'Dysfunctional' Eligibility System

A lawsuit filed last week, seeking certification as a class action on behalf of 18,000 Marylanders with IDD, alleges that since May 2023, the Maryland Department of Health has disenrolled people with IDD from DDA waiver programs in violation of the due process rights they are afforded under federal and state law.

Daria Cervantes, CEO of The Arc Montgomery County who supports approximately 30 people who have been disenrolled during the redetermination process stated, “We stand with our co-plaintiffs and all Marylanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities in this fight to secure the rights and benefits to which they are entitled.”



The Arc Maryland with our Maryland DD Coalition partners have raised the concern, about redetermination disenrollments and the need for timely benefits restoration, repeatedly for more than a year--while some processes have improved, the system continues to be a broken one: difficult for people with disabilities, their families, and their providers to navigate, with a pervasive lack of coordination, transparency, and assistance for people to maintain and recertify for benefits that help them live in the community and obtain the healthcare they need.

DDA Medicaid Waiver Amendment Coming in October

The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) Medicaid waiver programs are going into effect on October 6th. The Family Supports Waiver and Community Supports Waiver will be combined into one program called the Community Pathways Waiver. This change is part of an official update called a waiver amendment. Learn about the changes in the guides at the buttons below!

Learn About Supreme Court Decisions Affecting People with Disabilities from 2024-2025

The U.S. Supreme Court heard a number of important cases affecting people with disabilities in 2024 and 2025. Check out the guide from The Arc of the United States breaking down seven of these cases. By examining these rulings, we can better understand how new cases might affect disability rights, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Be My Neighbor Day at the B&O Railroad Museum

October 4th

Join Maryland Public Television for Be My Neighbor Day at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore on October 4th! This joyful, family-focused celebration brings kindness, learning, and community to life with the help of PBS KIDS characters Daniel Tiger and Friends. While you are there, stop by The Arc Maryland’s exhibitor booth to say hello! You can RSVP for the free event here.

As We Look To The Future of Our Work, We Need You!

Support The Arc Maryland Today!

The Arc Maryland's work is not possible without your support! Please consider donating to The Arc Maryland today! See below or contact below or contact sdols@thearcmd.org for more information.

Or mail your donation to:

The Arc Maryland

Attn: Annual Giving Campaign

8601 Robert Fulton Drive, Suite 140

Columbia, MD 21046

The Arc Maryland is a public charity, 501(c)(3) organization. We work to create a world where children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have and enjoy equal rights and opportunities. For more information, please visit Candid (Guidestar): We have the Gold Transparency Seal!