Delivering Results

Supporting Independent Living
Decreasing the Waiting List for People with Disabilities
Providing Affordable Housing for Marylanders with Disabilities
Providing Important Services to More Marylanders with Disabilities
Critical Services for Children and Young Adults with Disabilities
Equal Opportunity & Respect
Encouraging the Hiring of Marylanders with Disabilities
Enhanced Transportation Options
Extending Health Care
Technology and Accessibility

---

---

Supporting Marylanders with Disabilities

Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown believe in the dignity of every individual and have worked to expand opportunity equally to all.  The administration's slogan is, "There is no such thing as a spare Marylander,” and Govenror O'Malley and Lt. Governor Brown have implemented policies aligned with that belief.

One of the guiding principles of the O’Malley-Brown administration is that individuals with disabilities can live independent, productive and full lives in their communities when provided the right supports. Governor O’Malley worked with local jurisdictions to prioritize people with disabilities for rent subsidies and he successfully closed, Rosewood-- an institution known for patient abuse and neglect.

Under the O’Malley-Brown administration, the number of individuals with disabilities receiving services has increased dramatically from 6,572 in 2008 to over 11,000 in 2010. The waitlist for individuals with disabilities has decreased from 4,703 to 1,304 and there is currently no waiting list for individuals with the most significant disabilities. The average time on the waitlist has also dropped from 18 months to 4 to 6 months.

In order to provide much needed services to children with developmental problems, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown invested $10.4 million into Maryland’s Infants and Toddlers Program, facilitating a 50% increase in the number of children receiving early intervention services since 2003.

They invested $47 million into the Transitioning Youth Program—a 55% increase over the previous administration-- in order to help Maryland’s young people with disabilities access quality employment, day activities and higher education opportunities after leaving the public school system.

To encourage the hiring of Marylanders with disabilities, Governor O’Malley appointed the Secretary of the Department of Disabilities as a permanent representative on the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board and he supports programs that encourage employers to look beyond the negative stigmas.

Governor O’Malley provided $6.4 million to make state buildings and properties more accessible and he continues to encourage transit oriented development and livable communities that enrich the lives of people with disabilities by providing easy access to public transportation, jobs, and other services. Governor O’Malley is also one of the first Governors in the country to post videos on Maryland’s state website with captions.

Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, the number of individuals with disabilities receiving Medicaid coverage has increased by 200% since 2007.

While significant progress has been made, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown know that more needs to be done to expand equal opportunity to every Marylander in our One Maryland. And that is why they will continue to support initiatives that enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities.

O'Malley-Brown: Delivering Results

Supporting Independent Living

• One of the guiding principles of the O’Malley-Brown administration is that individuals with disabilities can live independent, productive and full lives in their communities when provided with the right supports.
• Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown led the effort to close the Rosewood center, Maryland’s oldest institution and a home cited for abuse and neglect. They successfully helped move 145 residents to new community homes.

Decreasing the Division of Rehabilitation Services Waiting List for People with Disabilities

• In 2009, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown added more than $2 million to the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services in order to take individuals with disabilities off of the waiting list. As a result of these important funds, the waitlist decreased from 4,703 to 1,304 and there is currently no waiting list for individuals with the most significant disabilities. The average time on the waitlist has also dropped from 18 months to 4 to 6 months.

Providing Affordable Housing for Marylanders with Disabilities

• Governor O’Malley will continue to work with local jurisdictions that receive HUD funds to prioritize people with disabilities for rent subsidies while also involving disability advocates in developing additional subsidized rental units.

Providing Important Services to More Marylanders with Disabilities

• Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services has dramatically increased the number of individuals it is providing services to from 6,572 in 2008 to nearly 11,000 in 2010.

Critical Services for Children and Young Adults with Disabilities

• Governor O’Malley increased spending for Maryland’s Infants and Toddlers Program by $4.6 million in 2009 bringing the total up to $10.4 million. The MITP supports local programs serving nearly 14,000 children with developmental issues such as speech delays, Down Syndrome, and Autism. Because of this much needed funding; there has been a 50% increase in the number of children receiving early intervention services since 2003.
• Over the past four years, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown have invested $47 million into the Transitioning Youth Program—a 55% increase over the previous administration. This funding helps Maryland’s young people with disabilities access quality employment, day activities or higher education opportunities after they leave the school system.

Equal Opportunity & Respect

• In 2008, Governor O’Malley signed the Fitness and Athletics Equity Act for Students with Disabilities that requires all Maryland school systems to allow students with significant disabilities to try out for sports teams and participate alongside their peers.
• Over the past two years, the O’Malley-Brown administration has worked with families and advocates to remove the “R” word from our policies and laws, reducing the negative stigma against our citizens with disabilities.

Encouraging the Hiring of Marylanders with Disabilities

• To ensure that people with disabilities were included in all discussion about workforce development, Governor O’Malley appointed the Secretary of the Department of Disabilities as a permanent representative on the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board.
• In March 2010, the O’Malley-Brown Administration launched Skills2Compete-Maryland, an initiative aimed at increasing the skills and competitiveness of Maryland’s workforce. Strategies to increase the skills of people with disabilities are a part of the initiative.
• Governor O’Malley issued a set of principles to guide his sub-cabinet on Workforce Development that included the following, “There Is No Such Thing as a Spare Marylander.” This slogan summarizes the Administration’s belief that all Marylanders are needed and valued in the workplace.
• Maryland was one of three states to participate in the “State Leaders Innovation Institute”, a project of the National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leaders for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities. Maryland’s project developed a program currently underway that will enable people with disabilities to take advantage of new jobs coming to Maryland through the military Base Realignment and Closure. (BRAC)
• Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, Maryland is participating in the “Think Beyond the Label” national marketing campaign that encourages employers to overlook the disability and look at the person’s skills. The campaign is running ads on television and radio stations and placards are on Maryland Transit Authority buses during October’s Disability History Awareness Month.
• The O’Malley-Brown administration continues to encourage quest internships, which offer work experience and an opportunity for a permanent job within State Government. By demonstrating that people with various disabilities can successfully perform a wide array of jobs, Maryland sets an example for all employers.

Enhanced Transportation Options

• The O’Malley-Brown administration allocated $6.4 million over the last four years to make State buildings and properties more accessible, compared to $6.1 million under the previous administration.
• The O’Malley-Brown administration has made transit oriented development a priority and has identified 14 sites around the State for these projects. Transit Oriented Development presents a unique opportunity to create more livable communities that enrich the lives of people with disabilities by enabling them to access public transit options so that they can get to jobs and other places they want to go.
• This year, under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, Mobility Paratransit enhanced its service and is now providing door-to-door service as opposed to curb to curb. The fleet is continually being upgraded with 48 new wheelchair vans and 55 new sedans being used in addition to replacement vehicles and expanded service.

Extending Health Care

• Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, over 550 individuals with disabilities who work and meet certain other requirements are receiving Medicaid coverage for a small premium. The number of individuals enrolled in this program represents a 200% increase since 2007.

Technology and Accessibility

• In 2010, Governor O’Malley signed into law legislation that requires a place of public accommodation to activate closed captioning on any television in use during regular hours if a person requests the feature be activated.
• In order to enable people with disabilities to work, operate a business, excel in school, live in safe and accessible homes, enjoy independent transportation and gain greater access to their communities, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown continue to support the Assistive Technology Loan Program. This program provides low interest loans to purchase assistive technology or make home modifications. Since taking office the O’Malley-Brown administration has provided nearly 200 loans totaling $2.4 million for this program.
• The O’Malley-Brown administration expanded the role of the Department of Information Technology to ensure that information and services available through State Agency websites are accessible to Marylanders with sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities. Governor O’Malley was also one of the first governors in the nation to post videos on his website with captions.