Dayana Ramos has a passion for makeup artistry and is a young mom. In the best of times, it can be a lot to juggle. It’s even harder when you have a disability, and your support network has limited English speaking skills. Dayana was told she had to be in a day program to get disability services—even though it wasn’t… Read More »
Register for Next Session Thursday, November 9 Maria* applied for disability services for her daughter, but when a coordinator from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) called her to schedule an interview at her house Maria declined. In her culture, inviting a stranger to her home felt uncomfortable. Understanding how cultural differences impact people’s choices can make a difference for… Read More »
Being able to effectively communicate is key to accessing and providing high-quality care for people with disabilities. We know that language barriers are one reason people from Asian and Hispanic backgrounds have trouble applying for services. It stands to reason those same issues will apply once they begin receiving services. Disability service providers in Maryland are obligated to provide language… Read More »
Kevin’s story as told by his mother Nery Gonzalez My son Kevin can’t speak at all, and my English is limited. I don’t understand everything in English, and I definitely did not understand that my Kevin would lose government funding for services if we missed the timeframe for young adults finishing high school to transition to adult services. We were… Read More »
Program Connects Underserved Communities to Services Since launching in the Fall of 2021, Jubilee’s innovative Breaking Barriers program works to ensure that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities from Hispanic and Asian communities can easily access support services. In just one year, the program has brought together more than a dozen agencies providing services and the DDA. The groups collaborate… Read More »
Celebrate Juneteenth with your Jubilee family as we honor the holiday with a celebration of African Unity and African-American Freedom. The event is an opportunity to learn and have fun as we celebrate each other’s cultures and history. One of the wonderful strengths of Jubilee is our diversity, and respect for different cultures. Staff from African and Caribbean countries will… Read More »
By A’isha Henry, RJAG Chair and Quality Assurance and Compliance Manager Jubilee’s Racial Justice Advisory Group (RJAG) will soon be wrapping up our second year of work supporting Jubilee in becoming a more equitable and just organization. We meet monthly to identify barriers in communication, discuss training and education, and to monitor the progress of last year’s goals. These goals… Read More »
Helping Asian and Hispanic Communities Access Support Services Navigating the process of securing disability services is a challenging process. For many in Hispanic and Asian communities, it’s overwhelming. Jubilee’s new program Breaking Barriers aims to significantly increase the number of adults of Hispanic and Asian descent who receive services in the county. Data shows that here in Montgomery County, DDA… Read More »