Maryland Disability Law Center (MDLC)

During the past year, DRM successfully assisted people with disabilities in expanding opportunities to participate fully in all aspects of community life, and defending rights to self-determination, dignity, equality, choice and freedom from abuse and neglect. Our advocacy ensures that people with disabilities receive needed services and supports, such as access to health care, education, housing and transportation. 2023 accomplishments include: students with disabilities have increased protections from being unfairly or disproportionately suspended or expelled from school; people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities have access to needed health services provided in the home that allow them to remain in the community and avoid institutionalization; renters with disabilities are protected from eviction and receive reasonable modifications to their homes; and people with disabilities on Medicaid have health coverage for all medically necessary treatments for gender dysphoria in accordance with best medical practices. Further, DRM's complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of paratransit riders resulted in a letter of finding that will result in improvements to the performance and reliability of paratransit service for people with disabilities. DRM also filed two lawsuits on behalf of foster children with disabilities to remedy systemic deficiencies in the state's oversight and administration of psychotropic medications to children in foster care and to prevent children in foster care from being forced to remain in hospitals and emergency departments beyond medical necessity as a result of a lack of community placements and services.