Empowering Partners aims to raise awareness about the value of self-advocacy and reconvene or strengthen self-advocacy groups throughout the state.
The Arc Maryland, in partnership with People on the Go of Maryland and The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, is excited to share with you Empowering Partners, an outgrowth of the successful Partners in Policymaking® program.
About the Program
Empowering Partners serves as the foundation for self-advocacy groups in Maryland, with guidance from The Arc Maryland, local chapters, experienced self-advocate facilitators, and program partners. Through the program, self-advocacy groups share centralized discussion topics, activities, and a unified movement to grow from and build on.
People with IDD need to understand advocacy and have a chance to demonstrate it. It is important to educate the next generation who will be in charge of carrying the movement forward.
Aileen O’Hare, Former Empowering Partners Facilitator
Finding a Self-Advocacy Group Near You
You can join a Self-Advocacy Group near you supported by Empowering Partners to improve your advocacy skills! Here are upcoming meeting times in Maryland:
- People On the Go of Southern Maryland | Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties
- Virtual – October 3rd, 4:00 to 5:00 PM
- People First | Cecil and Harford Counties
- Virtual – October 6th, 5:30 to 6:30 PM
- Inspiration Advocates | Carroll County
- Hybrid (Virtual and In-Person) – October 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Self-Advocates of Frederick County | Frederick County
- Virtual – October 12th, 4:00 to 5:00 PM
- People Power | Howard County
- Virtual – October 17th, 6:00 to 7:00 PM
- New Hope for All | Baltimore City and Baltimore County
- Virtual – October 19th, 6:00 to 7:00 PM
- STAND Together | Montgomery County
- TBD
To learn how you can join an Empowering Partners Self-Advocacy Group near you, contact Natalie Dohner at ndohner@thearcmd.org.
This project was supported, in part by grant number CFDA 93.630, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.