One of the biggest days of the year for disability advocates across Maryland is coming up on February 12th: Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature!
Join hundreds of fellow advocates, families, policy makers, and colleagues in Annapolis to make your voice heard. Learn about 2020 priorities and meet with your representatives to create a better tomorrow with and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), their families, and other supporters in Maryland!
About Developmental Disabilities Day
Every day, tens of thousands of Marylanders with I/DD, their families, and personal supports are impacted by the public policy decisions made by the Legislature. Developmental Disabilities(DD) Day is an opportunity for advocates to make their mark on policy. Last year, over 800 advocates joined the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition on DD Day in Annapolis. We hope for another strong turn out this year!
DD Day 2020 kicks off with a gathering of statewide advocates at Graduate Annapolis Hotel, located at 126 West St, Annapolis, MD 21401. Registration for the day will open at 7:30 AM with breakfast and networking following shortly behind at 8:00 AM. From 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, advocates will hear from leaders of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition and members of state department leadership on the proposed state budget for DD services, critical topics, and proposed legislation that would make changes in disability policy and services. Along with the Coalition, attendees will hear from legislative “champions” who year in and out, develop and support legislation that improves the lives of Marylanders with I/DD. Our goal for DD Day is to have advocates in their best shape to take on whatever 2020 has in store!
Following our gathering at The Graduate, attendees will travel to Senate and House Office Buildings on Bladen Street to meet with their elected officials and staff to discuss the information learned and to share their experiences and stories. The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition will provide attendees with materials on 2020 legislative priority talking points for meetings. Attendees are asked to schedule meetings with their legislators before February 12 by following the steps in the section “Scheduling Meetings with Elected Officials,” found below.
Registering for DD Day
This year, as in prior years, the organizations that make up the Developmental Disabilities Coalition and who are sponsoring this event will make significant contributions of time, talent, and treasure to offset the event costs we must pass on to attendees. Participant fees this year will be $25 per person. By offering one rate, we hope to simplify the registration process while continuing to ensure a robust event for all who attend.
You can register yourself and others for DD Day by clicking the button below. Payment must be made through The Arc Maryland’s official PayPal account. For special payment arrangements, please contact Sharon Dols at sdols@thearcmd.org. Registration for DD Day is limited and likely to fill up quickly. Please be sure to register as soon as possible to ensure space is available!
Upon full registration, those who wish to attend are asked to contact The Arc Maryland and to be placed on a waiting list. If any registration spots open up, The Arc Maryland will contact you to include you in registration. We ask that you respond to the request as soon as possible to ensure yourself or others behind you on the waiting list can attend.
Scheduling Meetings with Elected Officials
1) Find out who represents you. Who are your elected officials? Find out here on the Maryland Elected Officials Website by putting in your address.
2) Now that you have the names of your State Senator and Delegate(s), you can click on their names, which will take you to their profiles. The profile page includes each legislator’s respective office phone number and email address.
3) Call and/or email the office directly with the contact information listed from the website above and ask to set up an appointment for DD Day for a time after 11:15 AM. If they ask what the subject is, reply “I am in Annapolis for Developmental Disabilities Day and I would like to speak to my legislator about legislation and budget items that impact people with developmental disabilities and their families.”
4) Be sure to confirm the date and time of your appointment, then you’re all set for your meeting with your Legislator!
5) On DD Day you will receive fact sheets that will also be posted on this page a few days before DD Day. These fact sheets can help you develop speaking points for your meetings, so be sure to bring them with you when you meet with legislators!
6) At the meeting you may meet with your legislator or you may meet with someone on his/her staff. Do not be offended if you meet with a staff person instead of your legislator. The legislator may have designated someone on his/her staff to specialize on a particular issue and they may very well be the best person to brief!
Please Note: You must have a valid state issued ID to enter Legislative Buildings.
Parking in Annapolis
There is limited parking on location for the event at the Graduate Annapolis Hotel that is first come first serve the morning of DD Day for $10 self-parking and $12 valet. This parking can fill up quickly for the event, so we strongly suggest looking into alternatives for parking in advance. You can check out the Annapolis Parking website or SpotHero for location and pricing at nearby lots and garages to 126 West Street. A few nearby options are also listed below. Click the links for pricing, location, and more information.
- Gott’s Court Garage
- Park Place Garage
- Knighton Garage
- Whitmore Garage
- South Street Lot
- Noah Hillman Garage
- Calvert Street Garage
Additional Information
ASL and Spanish Interpretation will be provided for those who indicate a need for these services on the registration form.
If you cannot attend Developmental Disabilities Day in person, but want to stay involved with the event, you can watch DD Day live on the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition Facebook page.
For questions about DD Day, or if you have any issues with registration, contact Arylon Brooks at abrooks@thearcmd.org or call (410) 571-9320.
Event Handouts
Couldn’t attend DD Day at the Legislature this year? You can download handouts from the event by clicking here to stay up to date on what we covered at DD Day and where Coalition members are focusing legisative efforts in 2020.
Sponsored by the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition:
The Arc Maryland
Disability Rights Maryland
Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS)
Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
People on the Go Maryland
To learn more about the Coalition Partners, click here.
