The Employment & Meaningful Day Services (E&MDS) program continues to support people in existing and new roles. "In E&MDS, we proudly support people who have maintained 20+ year careers with the same employer,” says E&MDS Director Kelli Hunter-Bennett, “It’s time for society to move beyond the disability stigma and recognize the value and dedication people with disabilities bring to the workforce." 

Employment is about more than a paycheck. It’s growth, confidence, independence, and community. Yet only 37% of working-age people with disabilities have jobs, compared with 75% of people without disabilities. Let's all work towards making a change!

This DSP Recognition Week, we honored the Direct Support Professionals at The Arc Montgomery County. We couldn’t do what we do without them. This year's week-long celebration included a party at headquarters and daily giveaways. DSPs are truly the heart of our mission, providing daily support, encouragement, and care that empower the people we support to live full and meaningful lives.

Being stopped by the police can be intimidating. Knowing what to do and what not to do is important, so the Montgomery County Police Department recently worked with Pathfinders for Autism for an inclusive community event - What to Do During a Traffic Stop.

Attendees pulled up in their vehicles and went through mock traffic stops. The Arc Montgomery County was in attendance, and it was an educational day! Click here and see more on our Facebook page.

Caregivers need care as well! Join us for a morning of relaxation, connection, and inspiration as we celebrate National Caregivers Month with a special in-person program dedicated to supporting the well-being of caregivers.

Hosted by the National Family Caregiver Support Program, The Commission on Aging, and The Arc Montgomery County, this event offers a variety of engaging activities including music and art therapy and yoga. The keynote presentation is “Integration of Spiritual Care as Part of Holistic Care” with Christina Puchalski, MD.

Date: Wednesday, November 19 from 9 am–12 pm. Location: The Arc Montgomery County headquarters. Register here.

September 25 & 26 marked a two-day kickoff for the Maryland Conference of Executives (MCE). 29 employees of Maryland’s 9 local chapters of The Arc have started their year-long journey to develop and fine-tune their personal leadership styles and better support their organization's employees, people with IDD, and families.

From The Arc Montgomery County are David Bullock, Patricia Harrison, Chris Leacock, Jennifer Muscato and Yanitza Richardo. This class will graduate May 2026.

Meet representatives from 50 organizations and government agencies supporting people with intellectual disabilities and autism in Montgomery County. Free event, free parking.

Date: Sunday, November 2 from 1 pm–4 pm. Location: College Living Experience, 401 N. Washington Street, Rockville, MD 20850

It's a day of fitness, live music, raffles and more. The Fall Fitness Festival is a celebration of inclusion, movement, and community. This free event is designed for everyone to enjoy, participate in adaptive fitness activities, and help SPIRIT Club Foundation raise funds to support its scholarship program.

When: October 19 from 1 pm-4 pm

Where: Bender JCC - 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD

The Playgrounds for All site is up and running! This comes from The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) and Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD). The website promotes playgrounds where people with and without disabilities can play together and highlights the benefits of play spaces that are welcoming and inclusive for everyone. Playgrounds for All offers a toolkit for communities to develop their own play spaces. It also includes a map of public playgrounds across the state with accessible and inclusive features.

Montgomery Parks is offering some inclusive activities this fall to take advance of including Trail Trekkers, which is a walking program, Therapeutic Recreation Bocce, Adaptive Mountain Biking and Campfire Chats, which involves open dialogue, storytelling and fall crafts in an outdoor setting.

Click here for more information on Montgomery Park's inclusive programs for fall.

UZURV is a new adaptive transportation network company. It helps provide on-demand rides, like Uber, but it's a service for people with disabilities. In the past, people who use wheelchairs and guide dogs have had trouble with ride-shares: drivers canceling rides or refusing to take them where they need to go. UZURV is expanding and now services the DC Metro Region. Click here for more!

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