state-advocates
This week, two members of our Little Lobbyists community launched a drive to stop the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland from dropping their school mask mandate. Despite excellent organizing efforts and heart-felt testimony, including a petition that captured over 600 signatures in a week, the county Board of
mask
Dear Director Walensky: The undersigned individuals and organizations write in response to the February 25, 2022 changes to the masking guidelines put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As you are aware, tens of millions of disabled, chronically ill, immunocompromised, people of color, and older people
pandemic
As the mother of a medically complex child, I was stunned by a recent Facebook post by a scientist friend who is cautiously advocating for dropping mask requirements in schools. He’s posted the recently released “Urgency to Normal” toolkit. My friend reminds us that he “was all-in at the
reflections
Disability Day of Mourning is an annual commemoration held on March 1st to remember the lives of people with disabilities murdered by their caregivers, particularly those killed by parents and other family members, and to demand justice for their deaths. Our executive director, Elena Hung, spoke at today’s vigil
state-advocates
Self-directed or consumer-directed services are an increasingly popular option among state Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. The Self-Directed Advocacy Network of Maryland, Inc., (SDAN) calls self-direction, “Living the life you want.” Jeneva interviewed Alicia Wopat, President of SDAN, to learn more about the group’s advocacy. Tell me about
101-series
What happens to disabled young adults after high school? Many families don’t know what to expect when school ends. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) makes education an entitlement for students with disabilities, ensuring them a place in their communities. However, families quickly learn as high school draws
journey-with-jeneva
Share the Journey with Jeneva: Sherry Pickett Gets to the “Heart” of Advocacy Sherry Pickett has a Master’s Degree in Education, specializing in mental health. She’s worked in the mental health field for the last 18 years, providing Case Management Services and Therapy/Parenting Classes. Now her career
hcbs
Danny loved to tease me. I was his younger brother by four minutes, a fact he never let me forget. If you asked him, “Danny, who’s ugly?,” without fail he’d yell “I-an!”-- his version of my name. When I sang to him, he heckled me with a
family-advocacy
My daughter Brynleigh is a happy girl whose smile brightens up a room, She is in first grade and absolutely loves music therapy. She doesn’t like eating veggies, but will polish off a box of chicken nuggets before we finish our drive back home. Brynleigh was diagnosed at nine-and-a-half
covid
Dear Director Walensky, The undersigned organizations write in response to your comments on Friday, January 7th, 2022. Together we represent millions of people with disabilities, patients, and people with chronic illnesses across the United States, and we are extremely concerned by your comments. People with disabilities and pre-existing conditions have
pandemic
When students were sent home from classrooms in March 2020, our public education workforce burned the midnight oil to execute a monumental set of tasks. While the outcomes varied by state and district, there was a feeling of community pulling together through the noise, uncertainty, and fear in the early
CDC Director Dr. Walensky’s statement on national television that it is “really encouraging news” that the majority of people dying from COVID-19 are “unwell to begin with” does immense damage. Her cruel remarks tell people with complex medical needs and disabilities, including our children, that their lives do not