by Harper Chance | Mar 6, 2026 | News
2025 DRM intern Libby Riggs is a student researcher at Bowdoin College conducting a study about how students with disabilities experience learning and support in Maine schools. She is inviting parents/caregivers of children with disabilities and educators to share their perspectives through a brief anonymous survey.
The goal of this project is to better understand both challenges and helpful practices in everyday school experiences. Rather than evaluating schools or individuals, the study focuses on learning from lived experiences to inform more inclusive educational practices.
What participation involves:
- An anonymous online survey (about 10–30 minutes)
- Questions about school experiences, supports, and strategies that have been helpful
- You may skip any question you prefer not to answer
Participation is completely voluntary, and no identifying information will be collected. Your decision to participate or not will have no effect on your relationship with any school or organization.
If you have questions about the study, please contact Libby Riggs at lriggs@bowdoin.edu.
If you have questions about your rights as a participant, you may contact the Bowdoin College Institutional Review Board at irb@bowdoin.edu.
by Harper Chance | Mar 3, 2026 | Announcements, News
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) is seeking proposals for Information Technology service contracts beginning in March 2026. We are looking for a company located in the Augusta, Maine area at this time. Proposals are due by Friday, March 13, 2026.
Please click on 03.2026 IT RFP to download a PDF document of this information.
DRM’s needs include:
Please send questions and proposals for service by March 13, 2026 to Harper Chance, Operations Director, at hchance@drme.org.
by Harper Chance | Mar 2, 2026 | Announcements, Children's & Education Rights, Children's Advocacy, News
Legislative actions within our State may put multiple services for children with disabilities at risk. We are sharing this information because families deserve to know what is happening, how it may impact their children, and provide you an avenue for your voice to be heard.
1. Harder to Qualify for Case Management and Section 28 Services
Maine is changing the rules for:
These changes will make it harder for children to qualify, even if their needs have not changed. This is happening at the same time the State has long waitlists and not enough providers. Instead of fixing the workforce shortage, the State is making the rules tighter.
2. Special Education Teachers May Not Need Age‑Specific Training
The State has proposed giving teachers one special education certification for all grades, Pre‑K through 12. This means a teacher could work with a preschooler, a high school student, or anything in between without having training specific to the age group. Children at different ages learn in very different ways, and they need teachers who understand their developmental needs
LD 2175 Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education, State Board of Education
3. The State May Stop Reporting Unmet Need for Preschoolers
The Department of Education has proposed ending the requirement to report unmet need for children ages 3–5. Maine already struggles to provide timely services to preschoolers because of workforce shortages. If the State stops reporting unmet need, families and lawmakers will not have the information they need to address the transition of these students to public schools.
LD 2020 An Act to Update Department of Education Reporting Requirements
4. Schools May Be Allowed to Use Restraint and Seclusion More Easily
Changes to Chapter 33 will make it easier for schools to restrain or seclude children. This is especially concerning because many children show challenging behaviors when they are not getting the services they need. Instead of giving children more support, the rules would allow schools to use restraint and seclusion more often.
Re: LD 2172 Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 33: Rule Governing Physical Restraint and Seclusion, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education, State Board of Education
What Can You Do?
Maine Parent Federation has created a sign on letter addressing these concerns which we will be forwarding to members of the Health and Human Services and Education Legislative Committees and leaders at the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education.
If you are impacted by these changes and would like to have your voice heard please consider signing the letter. We are looking for anybody impacted, parents/caregivers, professionals, providers, and self-advocates alike. In the affiliation section you are able to enter an agency name, “parent”, “provider”, etc… or just leave blank.
If you have questions, please reach out to Carrie Woodcock at cwoodcock@mpf.org.
by Harper Chance | Feb 25, 2026 | Announcements, News
Applications are open now for the production and residency of Wholly Unwinding at Hogfish.
For their fifth season, Hogfish theater is proud to announce that they will be presenting for the first time, a flagship production that started as a regenerative arts seed project by a Hogfish artist-in-residence. Wholly Unwinding is a multi-genre work that defies categorization – part opera, part musical, part folk concert, part story-telling around the campfire for three voices, dancers, and chamber ensemble with music and libretto by Hailey McAvoy.
The story explores Hailey’s experiences growing up with Cerebral Palsy and her reconnection to embodiment through Alexander Technique with a series of poetic, psychedelic tableaux carried by songs and accompanied monologues. Themes include laying down armor, saying f*ck it to the medical model of disability, self-agency and reclamation, and the power of community. The three singers and dancers play students and friends on the journey together.
Application information:
- Hogfish is looking for three singers, two dancers, a violinist and a cellist.
- There is no application fee and no age limit.
- Hogfish actively seeks a diverse team of all ethnic backgrounds, ages, body types, neuro and physical abilities, disciplines and styles, as well as gender & sexuality expressions.
- For this production, Hogfish is particularly interested in spotlighting artists with disabilities, though artists of all abilities will be considered!
- Application deadline is Monday, March 9th 2026.
For more information and to apply, please go to the Hogfish website.
by Harper Chance | Feb 19, 2026 | Announcements, News, Youth Self-Advocacy Program
The Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) is conducting a statewide Accessibility and Inclusion Audit to better understand how youth programs across Maine are supporting young people with disabilities and other access needs. This includes physical, intellectual, sensory, mental health, neurodivergent, or chronic health conditions, as well as broader barriers such as transportation, financial, cultural and language access.
This work is rooted in MYAN’s role as a youth-serving network that focuses on strengthening programs and communities from the inside out. While other efforts often focus on policy or legal rights, MYAN’s goal is to learn directly from organizations about how inclusion happens in practice — and what supports you need to make programs more accessible for all youth.
MYAN is inviting organizations to share insights and experiences by completing a short 10–12 minute survey.
Your input will help:
- Map existing supports and identify access barriers
- Highlight effective, inclusive practices already happening across Maine
- Develop a practical Accessibility Toolkit to help youth-serving organizations create more inclusive, accessible programs
This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a larger collaborative effort. After the survey, MYAN plans to:
- Share early findings through community updates and virtual discussions, as well as at the Maine Youth Leadership Conference
- Offer chances to review and provide feedback on pieces of the Accessibility Toolkit
- Keep partners connected as we build shared learning around access and inclusion
Please feel free to share this opportunity with your networks and ask other organizations who provide programing for young people in Maine to complete the survey.
As a next step in this statewide effort, MYAN is now gathering input directly from youth participants and their parents/guardians/caregivers. We would be grateful for your help sharing the information below with your program participants — through email, newsletters, flyers, social media, or any other communication channel your organization uses.
________________________________________
About the Accessibility & Inclusion Surveys
The Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) is working to better understand what helps young people feel welcome in youth programs — and what gets in the way. To do this, we are gathering input from both youth and parents/guardians/caregivers across Maine.
These surveys focus on access challenges such as disability, transportation, cost, language, or any other barriers that make it hard to join or participate in youth programs. What people share will help shape future programs so they are more inclusive, supportive, and easier for all youth to access.
Who We’re Surveying
- We want to hear directly from youth about what makes a program welcoming — and what might stop them from joining.
- Survey Time: 5–10 minutes
- Privacy: No name is required, and all answers are private
- We want to understand what families experience when trying to access youth programs — especially when barriers like disability, transportation, cost, or language are involved.
- Survey Time: 5–7 minutes
- Privacy: All responses are confidential and will not be linked to you or your young person
Why It Matters
Your feedback will help MYAN:
- Identify access and inclusion barriers across Maine
- Learn what supports already exist
- Advocate for programs that are more welcoming to all youth
- Build tools and strategies to improve accessibility statewide
By sharing their perspectives, youth and families are helping build a more inclusive future for Maine’s young people.
