#developmental disabilities

We oppose the proposed 2027 budget cuts to state funding for Marylanders with developmental disabilities.  The Governor's budget, currently being reviewed by the state legislature, includes a 10% reduction ($150 million) to next year's funding for the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration. Disability funding is comprised of state funds with an equal federal match, so this fiscal cut triggers a reduction in federal funding. A $150 million cut in disability funds results in a $300 million overall cut when federal match dollars are factored into the process. If the goal of the budget cut is to “contain costs” for our state, it makes no sense to forfeit the federal match. Maryland has made progress in recent years by increasing funding to address the needs of our loved ones with developmental disabilities.  Over 19,000 individuals receive support services to live, work, and thrive in the community, but a long waiting list of individuals in serious need continues to be ignored. Giving up $150 million in federal funds, which would benefit our citizens with DD, is not the right choice for Maryland.

No, autism isn’t just a different way of thinking, I have urinary incontinence.

No, autism isn’t just a different way of thinking, I can’t wipe my ass.

No, autism isn’t just a different way of thinking, I have meltdowns where I hit my head, bite myself, and bruise myself till my knuckles are red.

No, autism isn’t just a different way of thinking, I need physical help bathing.

No, autism isn’t just a different way of thinking, I will have to move into a group home at 18 due to caregiver burnout.

im sick of how mean able people are

was just trying to get home was on bus and the bus driver stopped too close to the stop. no big deal right most people just move the bus so they can get ramp out.

but he was mad at me for some reason?? because i need use ramp from wheelchair and apparently i didn't tell him??? apparently was a button i was supposed to press??? i seen the button but nobody told me am supposed to press it. i thought it was just regular stop button. so pressed a different one. sister (carer) press it because she always press it really early the second we pull away from the other stop. and i don't get chance to. thought there was no point since she already press it. always does. never had a problem before

[image id: a blue square button with the wheelchair symbol on it. it is on a yellow handrail one would find on a bus. a finger is pointing to the button. [ty for id @boyslit]]

and then he told me i was "ignoring him" (he didn't ask questions didn't know what he wanted me to say) and that i need to take off ear defenders.

i told him "i can hear you" to let him know and then he was mad because "dont talk to me in that tone" what tone?????

I wear an AFO leg brace for my drop foot, it's not to 'hide' my disability, it's to ensure that I don't drag my foot, causing severe pain, pressure, and falls. For my safety and improving my quality of life.

I don't do physical therapy so I can seem more normal by learning to jump and jog and go up stairs without a railing, I do it for the betterment of my physical health, if I needed to save a child from being kidnapped, if my little nephew was in danger.

I'm not getting a diagnosis of cerebral palsy so I feel validated, I'm doing it because of my physical therapist saying I definitely have spastic ataxic cerebral palsy and telling me I should get an MRI EEG and gait analysis so I can get support I need.

When I wear a wrist brace my my left hand at night, I don't do it to mask my arm contracture, I do it so I don't develop a hand contracture with my current spasticity.

You have to have a minimum of two people with you who have known you in daily life settings for at least four months, at least, that's the requirement where I'm from. My first time around I brought my sister and my dad. When I was reassessed for a higher level (more support) later, I brought my executive functioning coach and my social worker. You can bring as many people as you want though.

They have a bunch of categories of areas of need, things like eating, bathing, self dressing, to walking, navigating the home, navigating public spaces, and more advanced things like cooking, cleaning, money management, etc.

They ask the questions in a way that gets a view of the intensity of the needed support, e.g "can the person perform the task: fully independently; with reminders; with verbal prompting; with physical assistance; not at all" and the amount of time a person needs the support for, e.g " less than once a week; once a week or more but not every day; every day but not more than once an hour; 24 hours" and the 24 hours one is tricky to remember, because it means literally 24 hours day and night. If someone needs 24 hour care for, say, monitoring their ventilator (I made that up, Idk if it's a real thing) then they would need to have eyes on them every moment of the day and night.

They care less about your diagnosis, and more about what you can do, how independently you can do it, and how long a caregiver should expect to spend helping you with the task.

how someone chooses to identify themself isn’t your business

the labels people attach to themselves are deeply personal to them and their experiences

you don’t know more about someone’s mental health than they, or their psychiatrist, does

you don’t have the authority to tell someone how to identify

having a professional diagnosis doesn’t make your voice more important than others

all disabled people are under attack at the end of the day. infighting gets us nowhere