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PRESS RELEASE: Disability Rights Maine Invited to Participate in White House Event, Highlighting Investments that Expand Disability Rights

by | Mar 13, 2024 | Press Releases

CONTACT: Julia Endicott
978-877-3871
jendicott@drme.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2024

Augusta – Disability Rights Maine is pleased to announce that Executive Director Kim Moody will join leaders from across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont at the White House on March 14, 2024 to participate in the Communities in Action, Building a Better America event.

“I am honored to take part in this event to highlight the many new exciting initiatives funded in part by the federal government, that have the potential to entirely transform our disability service system,” said Executive Director Kim Moody.

Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support Home and Community Based Services has seeded ideas and innovation within the system of supports and services for Maine people with disabilities, including for youth 14-18 who have not been served well historically and for people with ID/DD who also experience co-occurring behavioral health needs.

Maine also utilized ARPA funds to start its first crisis-receiving center, a transformative model that is currently being considered for expansion in other areas of the state to address critical gaps for people in need of mental health services.

As a result of new grants supported by federal funds, DRM has:

  • Piloted a youth self-advocacy project, encouraging young people to learn new skills to be their best selves;
  • Educated and informed thousands of individuals about COVID-19, and the availability of vaccines;
  • Conducted an expansive health equity research project, highlighting the disparate impact of healthcare access among people with disabilities; and
  • Developed a new program to address the disproportionate sexual violence that people with developmental disabilities experience.

The event is part of a series organized by the White House to highlight recent investments leading to positive impacts in local communities.

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Disability Rights Maine is Maine’s Protection & Advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance justice and equality by enforcing rights and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Maine.

 

Preparing for the Polls as a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Voter

by | Mar 1, 2024 | Deaf Services, Success Stories, Voting

Maine will have presidential primaries on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Voters will decide on candidates participating in the Democratic and Republican primaries.

Polling places can be tricky places for communication, especially for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. Polls are often set up in school gyms, cafeteria, and other large areas; they are often busy and full of noise and visual distractions. Voters arriving and leaving, poll workers talking, and everyone hustling and bustling around. Of course, voters who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing have the right to request accommodations in order to communicate effectively at the polls. This could include asking a poll worker to write back and forth, or to remove a face mask momentarily to support communication.

Debra Bare-Rogers, Advocate at Disability Rights Maine, shares how she prepares for the polls as a Hard of hearing person:

“One, as soon as I arrive at the polling place, I tell them, ‘I am Hard of Hearing. Please speak slowly.’ Two, I use an app on my Android smartphone called LiveTranscribe. I show it to the person I am speaking to, and I read the captions of what they are saying. For example, when they ask, ‘what is your name?’ Three, I wear my ‘Please face me, I’m hard of hearing!’ button. Four, I bring pen and paper as a back up, in case I need to ask somebody to write something down that I can’t hear or understand.”

She also shares, “I request a corner voting booth if possible. My hope is that it will be away from the noise and other distractions in the area.”

To find the address of your polling place, visit the Maine Voter Information Lookup Service. If you encounter accessibility barriers on Election Day, please contact Disability Rights Maine at 800-452-1948 or email Molly Thompson, Voting Access Advocate (mthompson@drme.org).