Breaking Barriers

Jubilee’s Breaking Barriers program helps Asian and Hispanic communities break through barriers that block their ability to access disability support services.

Navigating the complex process of applying for intellectual and developmental disability services is a daunting task. Add in language challenges and cultural differences, and the process can be overwhelming.

Our goal is to substantially increase the number of adults of Hispanic and Asian descent who receive services in the county. Through community outreach and new resources we help underrepresented groups learn about and access services.

Through Breaking Barriers, 14 local non-profit service providers and the DDA have come together to create solutions to these problems. We’re partnering with organizations, including Montgomery County’s Department for Health and Human Services, to help us connect with those who can use our help.

This work is made possible thanks to a grant from the William S. Abell Foundation.

Data supports the urgent need to help these communities. In Montgomery County, Maryland’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) provides funding for support services to less than 10 percent each of people who identify as Asian or Hispanic. Among people who identify as Black, the number rises to 26 percent, and it rises again to 44 percent for people who identify as white.