Community Inclusion
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As the designated Protection and Advocacy agency for the State of Maryland, part of MDLC's core mission is to make sure people with disabilities are included in their communities, and have meaningful access to community locations and services. All of our advocacy efforts tie back to this one guiding principle.
Sun Shine Folk
One example of our efforts to include people with disabilities in their communities is the Sun Shine Folk (SSF) project. SSF is a group of people many with disabilities who visit nursing home residents to inform them of their rights under Medicaid laws to receive services in the community rather than the nursing facilities. To highlight this project, MDLC has produced a 10-minute DVD titled The Sun Shines Brighter at Home, available by calling our office at 1.800.233.7201.
Emergency Department Project
MDLC issued a report in April 2008 detailing a two-year project in which we examined the use of emergency departments by people with psychiatric diagnoses. The goal of the project is to increase the use of community supports and services, and to improve the experiences of those who need to use the emergency departments. The full report "Maryland Citizens in Psychiatric Crisis: A Report" is available by calling MDLC at 1.800.233.7201.
Other ways we help people with disabilities be included
For information about our other community inclusion projects, visit any of our other web pages:
Housing ensuring people with disabilities are not discriminated against in the public housing system.
Medicaid for Children ensuring that children with disabilities have access to Medicaid services.
Special Education ensuring children with disabilities have access to free and appropriate public education.
Transportation ensuring people with disabilities are not discriminated against by the public transportation system.
Social Security and Employment helping people who get SSA benefits become part of the workforce.
Voting improve access to voting for people with disabilities.
Abuse and Neglect advocating for the closure of institutions and full inclusion of residents into their local communities; and monitoring community services for quality.
Students in Sports helping students with disabilities participate in school sports teams.
