Maryland Commission on Disabilities

Meeting Minutes - May 18, 2017

Attendees

Karen Ann Lichtenstein

Mark Leeds

Glynis Watford

Jose Sanchez

Denice Camp

Nadia Ibrahim

Mark Leeds

Janice Jackson

Senator Craig Zucker

Elizabeth Hall

William Frank

Yesheva Kelly

Lori Markland

Bette Ann Mobley

Seth Morgan

Jennifer Eastman

Guests:

Judith Duggan

Mary Enama

Welcome and Introductions

Karen Ann Lichtenstein called the meeting to order. Attendees introduced themselves. Two guests were present. Judith Duggan is a resident of Montgomery County and a parent of an adult disabled daughter. Mary Enama is a resident of Bethesda and the parent of an adult disabled child.

MDOD Updates

  • Staff Changes: Lori Markland moved from the Maryland Technology Assistance Program to work with the Maryland 529 Plan. Cari Watrous retired as the Director of the Access Maryland Program.
  • Interagency Disabilities Board: The IADB is a board made up of all of the secretaries or directors that their area of expertise touches on disabilities, such as the Secretary of Aging, Commerce, health and mental hygiene, Transportation, governor's office, etc. The board is scheduled to meet on July 13th to review the purpose of the development of the Board and its agenda. The IATC provides the ongoing examination of the structure of the state system of services and supports to individuals with disabilities to ensure equal access to support services and resources.
  • Grant Award: Maryland received $25,000 grant from the Think College grant center to enhance options for individuals with intellectual disabilities. MDOD will coordinate the efforts of different state agencies, institutes of higher education, parent and advocacy organizations, to expand the quality and capacity of programs that pour into your institutions. The partners include Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Department of Education, Maryland Higher Education Commission, University of Maryland, College of Education and MDOD.
  • ADA Celebration: This year’s celebration will be a reception at the Lowe House Office Building on August 4th. There will be several panel displays on the history of disabilities that will also travel around the state and on display at specified locations for public viewing.

Legislative Update

  • House Bill 128: Adds 3 new members to the IADB (Interagency Disability Board)
  • Senate Bill 334: Clarified the provisions of the Maryland ABLE bill of $14,000 a year limit
  • Senate Bill 972: Bill to develop a program to provide students with IDD inclusive higher education experience.
  • Senate Bill 180: Independent Living Tax Credit Act. Provides $5000 of tax credit for improving accessibility of a home

Maryland 529 ABLE Presentation: Bette Ann Mobley (Director of the Maryland 529 Program) and Lori Markland

  • What’s Able: ABLE accounts, which were signed into law in 2014, are tax free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities who want to be able to save for what's called qualified disability expenses. These accounts allow individuals to put money aside without jeopardizing benefits.The tax free savings accounts can be used for qualified disability expenses.
  • Eligibility:Anybody diagnosed with a disability before the age of 26 and who can meet the social security definition of disability. There is legislation proposed to increase the age to 46.
  • Contributions and Withdrawls: You can contribute up to $14,000 a year into this ABLE account, with a maximum lifetime contribution of $350,000. The withdrawals of money in these accounts are tax free as long as they're used for the disability expenses, and in Maryland you may qualify for a state income tax deduction of up to $2,500.
  • Qualified Expenses:Education, housing, transportation, employment training, assistive technology, health prevention and wellness, financial management, legal fees, expenses for oversight and monitoring, funeral and burial expenses, and then this final clause says any other expenses approved by the Secretary of the Treasury under regulations consistent with the purpose of the program.
  • Types of Accounts: FDIC insured products and money market account. Currently awaiting responses to the RFP from financial institutions to determine the vendor for these accounts.
  • Additional Facts
  • ABLE accounts can be moved from one state to another
  • If you don't spend it down on qualified disability expenses, you do pay a penalty on the earnings at the time that you close it.
  • SSI or SSDI checks can be deposited into an ABLE account
  • Enrollment: Maryland expected to announce enrollment in late November

Health Matters: Jennifer Eastman (Director of Community Living, MDOD)

The Health Matters Program is a project scale up from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Maryland isone of six participating states.(North Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, Alaska)

MDOD is tasked with recruiting and supporting community based organizations that serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.They are tasked with committing to and establishing health promotion program within their organization, not just for the people they serve but also for their employees as well. So far nine organizations with a fairly broad representation throughout the state have decided to participate. Including one on the Eastern Shore, one in Carroll County, one in PG County, and three in AA County.

Some of the key objectives is to look at the competency and knowledge that public health staff have on disability etiquette and culture and consider providing training to increase that competence so that they understand that when people come for a health promotion program, that they know how to interact with someone with a disability, that they know how to provide accommodations if necessary.

MDOD is currently working with DHMH’s Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control on a Disability Access and Support Program. It's a five-year grant, intended to serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as mobility impairments in state based programs.

Respect the Space:Steve Morgan (Commission on People with Disabilities for Montgomery County)

Respect the space started out as a plan to improve enforcement of illegal disability hang tags. After meeting with local law enforcement, it was explained that they could not give citations to vehicles with illegal parking tags if the parking lot was not up to code. The group then focused on doing parking lot assessments by creating a form that looks at gradations of parking lots, whether the angle was proper, what the distance to the most easily accessible entrance was, and not just the signage. Parking lot owners are given the assessments as well as examples of what being up to code means. So far, the feedback has been positive.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m.