The Arc Maryland

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The Arc Maryland began in 1960 as a small group of concerned parents.

Today we are the largest statewide advocacy organization assisting persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Maryland.

10/29/2026

Join us in welcoming the 2027 Class of Maryland Partners in Policymaking®! These blossoming advocates began their year-long journey of education and connection to become lifelong change-agents! We are elated for the journey ahead with the class of advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and family members of children and adults with IDD, and our program partners at the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and People On The Go of Maryland! Thank you to our guest presenters who brought great insights to the session, including Danielle Bustos from Independence Now, Guy Caruso from Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, College of Education, Tracy Wright from People On the Go Maryland, and our panel of Partners Grads, Devan, Adrian, and Katie!

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 $1,265,982 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.

10/23/2026

Did you know that early voting in Maryland is going on right now? If you want to exercise your right to vote during early voting or on Election Day, check out our Disability Voting Guide! You can get registered to vote, find your polling place, and learn important dates. Get started at https://thearcmd.org/md-vote/

10/21/2026

We are relieved to share a major development regarding Medicaid Redeterminations in Maryland: We were informed by the Governor’s staff that MDH will be implementing a plan this month to open a portal for providers to submit information related to claims, going back to July 1, 2024, that were unpaid for people who lost their waiver status and had a gap in coverage that was inconsistent or out of compliance with federal or state requirements. The Governor’s staff expressed the Administration’s commitment to pay all appropriate claims for this time period.

Provider Organizations: If you were impacted by a loss of coverage and inability to be paid, or to pay your staff for services provided during a gap in coverage outside of your control, please be on the lookout for that process as we share additional information in the coming days.

Self-Directed Service Recipients: We need to hear from you as soon as possible as we work to facilitate a resolution.

If you signed up to speak at our listening sessions, we will be reaching out to hear and document your stories for advocacy on your behalf as well as others in similar circumstances. We know this has been a majorly disruptive issue for many of you, and you deserve to be heard and helped.

Regarding dedicated hours and losses of vital supports - we have obtained a commitment from the Governor’s staff to facilitate discussions with us and MDH, with the intention of resolving that issue as well.

In light of what we perceive as earnest commitments, the last three regional listening sessions over the next month have been cancelled. If for any reason the expressed commitments do not hold, we will certainly reschedule the listening sessions and related advocacy actions.

Thank you for all of your work to support the listening sessions, your work behind the scenes to take time away from work to attend, mobilize people and their families to show up, and your partnership. We will continue to communicate news as this work advances.

10/16/2026

For more than 2 years, Marylanders with IDD have continued to experience Medicaid coverage losses and denials of dedicated support hours needed for health and safety. Families are stretched beyond their capacity, and DDA Providers are sustaining services without payment- sometimes for more than a year without resolution or necessary action from the Maryland Department of Health. These disruptions cannot continue.

Needed support is not optional. Denying dedicated supports can leave people without the individualized support they need to live safely in their communities, and community Providers cannot sustain care without payment! In a recent Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS) survey with 67 providers responding, 63 providers documented $29.5 million owed by the state for services provided to people who had been disenrolled from Medicaid and the waiver; many of whom - despite taking action to dispute the disenrollment or immediately correcting issues identified - could not get their benefits restored for months and even over a year. We need action now and are holding listening sessions in each region to provide opportunities for people to share their stories of how these continued issues have impacted their lives. Please take a look at the flyer and register through one of the links in the comments below if you would like to share your story. Please note our expectations for civility and nonpartisanship.

We are all in this together and hope this sharing opportunity to discuss Medicaid Disenrollment, nonpayment, and losses of dedicated hours will lift up these issues for public awareness. We will not permit divisive or inflammatory language. While legislators and others in government and policymaking are invited to attend and listen in to better understand the experiences of Marylanders, there will not be opportunities for legislators to address attendees.

10/13/2026

In October, we celebrate Independence with Katie and The Arc of Frederick County, who are the featured story for this month of our calendar! The Arc of Frederick County is proud to support Katie as she builds connections and lives life to the fullest, including moving into her own apartment!

10/10/2026

Are you ready to exercise your right to vote? With the General Election coming up on November 3rd, now is the perfect time to prepare! Check out our Disability Voting Guide to get registered, find your polling place, learn important dates, and more. Download it now at https://thearcmd.org/md-vote/

10/09/2026

Help us give a warm welcome to the newest member of The Arc Maryland team, Amy Kriewaldt! Amy, who joins us as the Director of Resource Development, is an autistic advocate, writer, podcaster, and nonprofit leader whose work centers on inclusion, access to effective communication, and neurodiversity-affirming support across the lifespan. She has held leadership and advocacy roles with PDA USA, the International Neurodiversity Resource Center, and the U.S. Autism Association; served on the board of the Northwest Alternative Communication Society; and currently serves on Frederick County’s Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC). Her advocacy includes inclusive schools and workplaces, affirming IEP goals, AAC and communication access, and ending harmful uses of physical, mechanical, and chemical restraint in schools and healthcare settings.

10/07/2026

Get informed for election season! Join the Maryland Disabilities Forum on October 22nd at 10:30 AM to hear from candidates for Maryland’s Governor on issues that are important to people with disabilities. You can register for the virtual event for free at https://events.mdworks.com/CandidateforGovernorsForum

10/06/2026

With less than 100 days until Legislative Session, now is the time for advocates to assemble for change! Self-Advocacy groups around Maryland are gearing up right now, and this is your opportunity to join. Find a local group supported by our Empowering Partners initiative in your area and join their next meeting! Get started at http://www.thearcmd.org/empowering-partners

Address

8601 Robert Fulton Drive, Ste 140
Columbia, MD
21046

Telephone

+14105719320

Website

http://www.thearcmd.org/

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