Checking In with The Arc Maryland
Legislative Calendar Day
January 9th
Are you looking for an opportunity to speak with your elected representatives at the Maryland General Assembly? Calendar Day is the perfect opportunity for members of The Arc to have your voices heard as Senators and Delegates gear up for the 2020 Legislative session!

Prior to the 9th, email your representatives to make appointments to drop in, then meet with fellow members of The Arc from across the state on January 9th to review legislative priorities for the year and then pass out calendars.
The Arc Maryland celebrates 60 years of service in the community; working to create a world where children and adults have and enjoy equal rights and opportunities! We received dozens of ideas for our calendar theme this year and are excited to announce that the Board of The Arc Maryland selected  Achieve shared vision , respect differences , celebrate 60 years!   as our 2020 theme! Read more and register today by clicking the button below
The Arc's Statewide Listening Tour- Two more stops!
January 4th and 8th
It is one of The Arc Maryland’s primary objectives to ensure family stakeholders are active contributors to decisions about policy and services that may affect their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Over the years, it has been proven time after time that meaningful change is most likely to happen when families are at the heart of that change.

We hope you will join with other families at one or more of the remaining Statewide Listening Tour sessions in January.

We received a lot of great feedback from all of our sessions across the state earlier this month. Your stories of experiences accessing needed supports and services and your hopes for your family members’ futures help us focus our grassroots advocacy. Read more and r egister for one of our remaining sessions below!

Advocates at a Statewide Listening Tour Session smiling and holding up a sign that states Never Give Up.
Inclusive Schools Week Recap: December 2nd to 6th
Earlier this month, from December 2nd to 6th, we celebrated Inclusive Schools Week, which recognizes the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors. The Arc Maryland celebrates this week each year and continues our work to bring awareness through our Together We're Better (TWB) Program's Diversity Celebration Toolkit and Inclusive Education Artwork Contest.
Parents and teachers can share the importance and values of inclusive learning with their children through books, videos, websites, and more resources; many of which can be conveniently found in our Diversity Celebration Toolkit. We encourage you to use these resources for reading before bedtime, incorporate into lesson plans, and any other ways you can share the message that we are better together!
Registration is Open!
Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature
February 12th, 2020
One of the biggest days of the year for advocates across Maryland is coming up this February! Every day, tens of thousands of Marylanders with I/DD, their families, and personal supports are impacted by the public policy decisions made in Annapolis during the Legislative Session. Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature is an excellent opportunity for advocates to make their mark on policy!

Learn about 2020 legislative priorities and meet with your elected officials and their staff to discuss critical disability issues and to share real life experiences. Last year, over 800 advocates joined the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition at our sold out event to make have their voices heard. We hope for another strong turn out this year!

Registration is now OPEN via this link . Please do not delay as the event has sold out the past few years.
In the News
DDA Welcomes New Directors for Two Regional Offices
The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration welcomed two new regional directors to its ranks this month. Mr. Nicholas Burton took over as the new director of the Southern Maryland Office on December 4th with 18 years of experience working in direct support, service coordination and policy creation roles. Ms. Joy Martin assumed the regional director position for the Central Maryland Office on December 11th with 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector of human services. We wish these professionals all the best as they fill very important positions at the Developmental Disabilities Administration.
Chapter Events & Fundraisers
The night to shine is coming up next month! The Arc Central Chesapeake Region invites you to their Snowflake Ball on Saturday, January 25th from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Double Tree by Hilton in Annapolis. Spend the night dancing away, enjoying dinner, and winning awesome prizes!

Tickets to the event are $25 per person with free admission to support staff of attendees. For more info, click the button below, email events@thearcccr.org or call 410-384-4072.