November 2026 E-News

There is a new library opening in Montgomery County! The Assistive Technology (AT) Library at The Arc Montgomery County is now open to all residents of Maryland. This unique free library was made possible by a generous grant from Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband's Computer Labs Program.

The AT Library is designed with accessibility in all aspects of life as its central goal. This is why it doesn’t just focus on one type of accessibility! The library features everything from braille keyboards and gaming equipment, to eating utensils.

The library not only lets Marylanders visit and see the technology, it allows them to borrow the devices for at home use. That way they can see if it works for them under real life conditions and if it meets their access needs.

Those interested can reach out via ATLibrary@TheArcMoCo.org, calling 240.744.1502 or visiting our website. 

The students at After All continue to expand their skills!

Henry and Troy are students at the after-school program. This past month they had the chance to take a digital literacy class taught by Jessica Wallach from Story Tapestries. They learned how to use iPads to take photos, edit them in Photobooth, and how to incorporate physical stencils into their digital artwork. Henry was proud to share that he “made a good shot” during the class.

Henry also shared that “Me and Troy love playing basketball,” and their favorite player is LeBron James. So, when they made their digital art, they made sure to include basketballs in it! They are hoping to learn how to play more games on the iPad in future classes, especially to play the game Cahoots.

It's about time for the third cohort of Empowering Abilities!

This 10-week paid fellowship gives people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) the training and support they need to prepare for a career as a Direct Support Professional (DSP).

Fellows receive hands-on job training, mentorship, and certification courses while learning how to use their own lived experience to support others with disabilities.

Hear from one Empowering Abilities graduate about how the program lead to him working at The Arc!

This program is exclusively for people with IDD.

Application Deadline: January 8, 2027
Fellowship Dates: February 1 – April 9, 2027

Apply today!

The Employment & Meaningful Day (E&MDS) lunch cruise was a success with more than 200 people coming together in early October. Attendees included the valued employees of E&MDS, the people they support, and also on the boat were members of the DC community. Those who came enjoyed sunny weather, a sightseeing cruise, lunch and dancing.

Hello everyone! For those of you who do not know me, I am Chris Leacock the Government Affairs Specialist for The Arc Montgomery County.

In an effort to keep everyone apprised of important information and what is going on in the policy world, I will be writing here regularly so you and your family can stay in the know. For the inception of this running series, it feels appropriate that it comes on the brink of an election! Speaking of voting, People on the Go and STAND Together partnered up in October to help ensure the people we support were informed of their rights in the voting booth, as well as helping to check voter registration.

I will remind everyone that some provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are set to start up on January 1, 2027. Some of the provisions that should not directly impact people on the Community Pathways Waiver, such as work requirements, may still have an effect as they strain the system. We will be holding two informational sessions in the near future to help people understand the new requirements. Details will be coming shortly.

Although the Maryland General Assembly is not in session at the moment, we are already looking ahead to the new legislative session in January. If you are interested in sharing your story, advocating for yourself or a family member, or would like to receive advocacy alerts, please reach out to me at Chris.Leacock@thearcmoco.org. The last two years have been difficult, but because of steadfast advocacy we have managed to fight back the most aggressive changes.

It's that time of year again! Giving Tuesday is right around the corner. Celebrated each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it's a day to support the causes that matter most to you.

Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our fundraising goal last year, and we're hoping to do it again! Your support helps The Arc Montgomery County create more opportunities for people with disabilities to live fulfilling lives.

We've made lots of progress on our strategic plan over the past year, jumping to a grand total of 51% completed, up from 41% at the same time last year. Here are a few highlights:

Workforce Retention (61% completed) Developed and implemented a new training program for evolving leaders and newly promoted supervisors.

Changed our electronic training platform to allow employees to complete their trainings in Spanish and focus more on real-life experiences.

Communication & Connection (66% completed) Created FAQs for each department, which are posted on our website.

Created a tech lending library for people we support and the public to learn about assistive technology.

Funding Security (62% completed) Created intake pathways and dedicated resources for supporting new enrollments in all programs.

Obtained certification for and began providing DDA housing support services.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (27% completed) Restructured our tenure recognition to be meaningful to employees at all levels.

Created and shared safety information for people supported and employees, such as ICE and other emergency procedures.

Support Beyond Caregiving (54% completed) Developed tactics to support relationships with new community organizations and generating excitement about The Arc's work.

Created and hosted a Multicultural Senior Services Fair.

Voice of the Customer (36% completed) Developed tactics to support shifting away from caregiving toward independence and ensuring people are offered meaningful choices which are implemented by their support teams.

Shared advocacy opportunities with families and employees, requesting their assistance to ensure DDA programs continue to support people in our community.

Our website will be updated soon with short videos that review the progress in more detail. Stay tuned!

People are excited about all the ways to get involved with The Arc! The post about the Empowering Abilities Fellowship accepting applicants for a new cohort got over 2,900 views across Facebook and Instagram, while a post celebrating KFICCC’s volunteers from Stonge Ridge Sacred Heart was also viewed over 2,900 times! Plus, a post about the Employment & Meaningful Day Services Lunch Cruise got more than 1,900 views.

The community is fired up to vote this November! Our post about our Voter Education event received over 1,300 views!