The Arc Maryland Public Policy Fellowship was created to build the next generation of public policy leaders and grow capacity at the local chapter level to increase grassroots engagement with the Maryland General Assembly. Fellows work part-time during the legislative session and have the chance to learn, observe and be a part of real-time legislation. We were pleased to sponsor two Fellows during the 2017 Session.
Jamie Stoner, Director of Outreach
The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
Nelson Mandela
This legislative session I had the honor to work with families, professionals, lobbyists and legislators on important issues that impact the disability community. There were two things that quickly became evident in my time with The Arc Maryland. First, legislators want to hear from their constituents. The second is that legislators don’t want to hear about our issues from lobbyists; they want to hear from individuals, families and direct support staff directly. One of the most powerful things that I witnessed is a person with a disability, their family or their direct support staff meet with a legislator or testify before a committee and tell their story. Often legislators want to be educated on what the issues are, and need to see and hear first-hand from those impacted by the proposed legislation. If a legislator understands the issue and the impact for the people in their district, you begin to see real change. Two of the most powerful stories witnessed during my fellowship where stories shared by families regarding a lack of an emergency evacuation plan for their child during the school day, and a video clip of how having restraint and seclusion practices were so damaging for one student. These experiences leave lasting impressions on everyone who hears and sees them and positively impacted legislation this session.
What I would like to share with those reading this is that if you receive an alert or a request calling for action, stories, or testimony it is crucial to respond, and respond in numbers. The larger the response, the more people are educated, (legislators, the community, and the media) and the bigger the impact.
A story with a photo, a video clip under two minutes, or in-person testimony explaining why the disability community at large is taking a position on legislation is often the motivation for legislators to seriously take into consideration our position. This legislative session a direct support staff told her personal story to a legislator, and the delegate asked her to come speak in front of the committee so they can be educated on the importance of the issue. Legislators need real life examples for Marylanders to help get things accomplished.
While my time with The Arc Maryland has come to an end, I was so incredibly lucky to learn about advocacy and lobbying from some of Maryland’s most successful lobbyists. I’d like to thank Cristy Marchand and her wonderful staff, the partners at MACS, People on the Go, The DD Council, and Disability Rights Maryland for allowing me to work with them, sharing their expansive knowledge and sacrificing so much of their personal lives during the legislative session for the greater good of the disability community. This is a dedicated, intelligent, fierce group that really holds a great deal of responsibility for so many successes in Maryland’s disability community. I can only hope to continue to be able to contribute to the work they do through my role with The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region and encourage all of the other chapters to consider having one of their staff participate in The Arc MD public policy fellowship.
Aaron Stephens, Deputy Director
The Arc of Frederick County
The 2017 Legislative Session proved to be another exciting journey as I had the privilege to serve as a Public Policy Fellow for a second year. The opportunity to work directly with Cristy Marchand was a great honor as she mentored me to hone my advocacy skills.
Healthcare was clearly a passionate topic for not only Maryland, but the entire country. The energy surrounding this roller-coaster topic was epic during the 2017 session. The Arc advocated for a variety of healthcare related issues. Being a part of not only the debates on the subject, but also having the opportunity to take action was exuberating. It was an honor to write and present testimony in support of Maryland becoming the first state to fight price gouging of prescription drugs.
There was also a sense of pride for living in a state where our U.S. Congressmen and most U.S. Representatives supported The Arc’s position on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid that is so crucial for comprehensive health care coverage and to support people with developmental disabilities to live full lives in the community.
Part of the learning experience for me this year included having the opportunity to participate in meetings with key legislative champions to receive advice on how to maneuverer through the session. There were times of waiting, times to quickly gather support from those waiting in the wings, and times to add some pressure. Getting a taste of the politics of timing was a great lesson.
In addition to supporting bills, I also had the opportunity to learn how to respectfully oppose bills that were not in-line with The Arc’s mission. This part of the Fellowship experience allowed me to build my confidence in educating representatives on The Arc’s positions, while at the same time maintaining a professional relationships so that future partnerships can still be established.
I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with The Arc Maryland for a second year. I look forward to continuing to support advocacy efforts that assists people with developmental disabilities to live full lives in the community.