Ignite Innovations with SpArc Tank Grant Funding! Applications Close October 15th

The Arc Maryland's SpArc Tank offers opportunities for organizations and individuals to pitch ideas for funding of innovative projects, new technology, resources, and more to enhance the lives of children and adults with IDD in Maryland. Funding of up to $7,500 is available, and you can apply today! We are searching for projects that have statewide impact, or local impact with possible future statewide replication. Read more below and apply by October 15th through the button below!

Get Tickets to SpArc Tank Ig-Nite

November 21st!

Step into a world where brilliance ignites and possibilities "spArc" at SpArc Tank Ig-Nite! This year’s event theme is Catching Fire, and it promises to be an extraordinary evening dedicated to showcasing the latest in innovation and creativity! Join us at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville this year for an innovations showcase, signature cocktails, a silent auction, wine pull, networking, and live SpArc Tank “pitches” where attendees vote on projects to receive innovations funding! Get Early Bird tickets now through October 15 for $60 each. We look forward to seeing you!

Get Ready to Exercise Your Right to Vote on November 5th

We are just under one month away from Election Day on November 5th, and right now is the perfect time to prepare to exercise your voting right! We have created an easy-to-read Voting Guide for you to register to vote, learn important dates, find your polling location, and get informed! Visit our website below to prepare.

Senate Candidate Forum for People with Disabilities and Allies

October 22nd from 12:00 to 1:15 PM

Empower your voice with the Maryland Disabilities Forum (MDF)! In Maryland, 24% of people have a disability of some kind (Source: CDC). We are a powerful voting constituency and could decide the outcome of the upcoming Maryland Senate race. Maryland Senate Candidates Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan will join The Maryland Disabilities Forum virtually on October 22nd to share their ideas and answer questions related to matters of importance to the community of people with disabilities in Maryland. The Arc Maryland's Executive Director, Ande Kolp is proud to serve on the board of the MDF, and encourages all partners and others in our network to attend this special forum and gain information for making informed voting decisions. Registration is free but required to attend. You can register through the button below!

MCE Leadership: The Arc 2024-25 Class Begins Their Journey

Meet the future leaders of The Arc in Maryland! Our 2024-25 MCE Leadership: The Arc class kicked off their journey during a two-day retreat. Over the next year, these employees of local chapters of The Arc will learn to develop and fine-tune their personal leadership styles, and better support their organization's employees, people with IDD, and families. Thank you also to UMBC Training Centers' Center for Leadership and Innovation and Marc Kolp for their outstanding facilitation during our retreat.

Congratulations to the 2023-24 Maryland Partners in Policymaking® Graduating Class

Recently, we celebrated the outstanding achievements of the 32 graduates of Maryland's 2023-24 Partners in Policymaking® program. Join us in welcoming this group into the distinct ranks of Partners alumni in Maryland and across the country! Thank you to the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and People On The Go of Maryland for funding and programmatic support, and to all the graduates for their hard work and dedication to making future change! You can read about this outstanding crop of grads through our 2023-24 Partners Yearbook below.

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.

In October, We Take Our Legislators To Work!

On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, several of The Arc organizations in the state and other providers took part in the 2024 Take Your Legislator To Work Day! In October, we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and Take Your Legislator to Work Day offers a unique opportunity for lawmakers to learn directly from employees with disabilities, and the employers who have inclusive hiring practices, about their hiring experiences and the mutual benefits to employee and employer. The day. A huge thank you to SEEC and Kennedy Krieger Neurodiversity at Work for your coordination and leadership of this fabulous initiative!

Maryland Town Hall: Equitable Urgent & Acute Behavioral Care

October 10th from 1:00 to 2:30 PM

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) invites you to a Town Hall meeting to improve the accessibility and quality of behavioral health care services for children and adults with IDD, brain injuries, and other cognitive disabilities. The MDH was selected by the Link Center's new State Policy Academy, funded by the U.S. Government's Administration for Community Living. What are your experiences with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other urgent/crisis and acute behavioral health care services? What are the needs of people with IDD related to these services? You can register below, or share feedback directly to Crisis.Services@Maryland.gov.

U.S. Senate Punts Vote on Autism Act To Post-Election

Recently, the U.S. Senate approved a short-term extension of the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act, which would have expired at the end of last month. This extension runs through December 20th, but further discussion on legislation in the Senate to extend its impact long-term is expected after the election cycle after movement stalled in September. The House version of the bill to extend the Autism CARES Act passed last month with over the next 5 years with just under $2 billion in funding for research, prevalence tracking, screening, training, and more relating to autism. You can read the full article from Disability Scoop through the button below.

Join the DDA Waiver Advisory Council - Applications Now Open

The Developmental Disabilities Administration's (DDA) Quality Advisory is being replaced by a new body, the Waiver Advisory Council, which will promote meaningful engagement and establish a feedback loop with stakeholders, with a focus on people with lived experience. You can apply today to advise and provide recommendations to the DDA on system design, service delivery, and quality enhancement strategies for the DDA-operated Medicaid waiver programs. The application can be completed below online!

First "Empower Hour" with The Arc Howard County

A big shout out to The Arc Howard County, who partnered with Dominique and Natalie as part of our Empowering Partners initiative to host the first Empower Hour for adults with IDD in their 20s and 30s. Dominique and Natalie led the group through team-building activities to get to the root of the issues that matter most to attendees. Each group agreed on the basis for a foundation from which to build as a team, talked about opportunities as well as barriers or challenges that people with disabilities face (at school, in their homes, and on vacation) and brainstormed solutions for an empowered life!

Support The Arc Maryland

Are you looking for ways to support the work of The Arc Maryland? We have many opportunities for ways in which you can give! See below or contact below or contact sdols@thearcmd.org for more information.

Or mail your donation to:

The Arc Maryland

Attn: Annual Charity Campaign

8601 Robert Fulton Drive, Suite 140

Columbia, MD 21046