Our partner The Arc Maryland is pleased to announce the launch of a Statewide Listening Tour. We want to hear from the family members of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities!

Please join us to meet with other families and representatives from The Arc and share your stories!

The Arc Arcross Maryalnd
In Maryland, there are 10 local chapters and 1 state chapter of The Arc.  We collectively support more than 25% of the people in the state in DDA services.  Over 6,250 people are the direct beneficiaries of what we do, and countless others benefit as well through our programs and initiatives, events, newsletters, and other supports.

Individuals with disabilities and their families turn to The Arc for the opportunities they desire in life because they know we can deliver, and we do; year after year, and decade after decade!

The Arc is here for you.  We are united in our advocacy, our commitment to family support and preservation, our belief in the right to full inclusion and choices for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and in our belief that everyone benefits when children and adults of all abilities have the opportunity to live, learn, work and play together.

Purpose of the Statewide Listening Tour
There are currently many parent-participant advocacy groups that meet in various parts of the state that are locally-based, have specific goals or charters, a core membership, and who generally gather to share information with one another about what is possible, what is working with the resources that are available to families, what is not working, and what they would like to see for the future.  While these separate groups are critically important, equally important is uniting on shared views for broader, statewide impact.

It is one of The Arc Maryland’s primary objectives to ensure family stakeholders are active contributors to decisions that affect their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.  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 Statewide Listening Tour sessions.  The 2020 Legislative Session begins on January 8th, 2020 and your stories of experiences accessing needed supports and services and your hopes for your family members’ futures help us focus our grassroots advocacy.

Some Questions to Keep in Mind for the Listening Tour:

  • Does your family member with a disability currently access DDA Services or Supports or do you think they will in the future?  What supports do you hope to access?
  • What are some experiences you can share about life (as a parent or family member of a person with I/DD) and what do you hope for the future?
  • What is working well for you?  Are there any programs, resources, etc. in your county or city that are unique and particularly helpful that you would like to see replicated in other areas?  (Best Practices?)
  • Are there any gaps in your knowledge about what services, supports, resources, etc. are out there for you and your family member and if so, what would you like to have more information about?
  • Have you experienced any barriers to getting the supports and services that you need for your loved one and if so, have you been able to overcome them or are they ongoing?
  • Is there anything you would like to help to change, as far as any particular law or policy is concerned, and do you have any ideas for how you would change it?

How to Join In
You can attend one of our Listening Sessions where you can meet leaders of The Arc and other family members. Details on each stop of the Listening Tour are below.

Registration is free, but required to help us plan for space and refreshments.

Eastern Region (Click on link)
Date: December 17th, 2019 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Location: The Chesapeake College Cambridge Center, 418 Race St #1836, Cambridge, MD 21613
*The Arc Maryland is working to bring a second Listening Tour Session to the  Eastern Region in Salisbury. Please keep up with our communications for updates!

Central Region 1
Date:  December 19th, 2019 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
Location:  The Arc Baltimore at Seton Business Park, 6151 Metro Dr, Baltimore, MD 21215

Central Chesapeake Region 2
Date:  January 4th, 2020 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Location:  The Arc Central Chesapeake Region Annapolis Office, 931 Spa Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401

Central Region 3
Date: January 8th, 2020 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Location:  The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region, 4513 Philadelphia Rd, Aberdeen, MD 21001, Belcamp, MD 21017

Southern Region 1*
Date: December 18th, 2019 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location:  The Arc Prince Georges County, 1401 McCormick Dr, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
*This session will take place during The Arc Prince George’s County’s Open House. The registration below will redirect you to their Open House Registration.

Southern Region 2
Date:  December 18th, 2019 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Location:  The Arc Southern Maryland, 355 W Dares Beach Rd, Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Southern Region 3
December 19th, 2019 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: The Arc Montgomery County, 7362 Calhoun Pl, Rockville, MD 20855

Western Region
Date: December 18th, 2019 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Location: The Arc at Market Street, 555 S Market St, Frederick, MD 21701

Want More Information or Cannot Attend?
For more information about the Statewide Listening Tour, or if you cannot make it to a regional session, but would like to be contacted for future comments, please contact Kathleen Swanson, Director of Education and Advocacy at The Arc Maryland, at kswanson@thearcmd.org or at 410-571-9320.