[PIC]Local programs and services for those with disabilities
In this blog, I will talk about services for disabled people in the state of Maryland.
One of these services is called Humanim Inc., which I was a client with for nine years. According to their website, Humanim is an organization founded in 1971 for people with disabilities. They have a lot of services that help disabled people in Howard County and the surrounding areas. They have job services, including a job coach that helps you look for jobs and help with the interview process. They also give tax breaks to businesses that hire their clients.
I used to look for jobs by getting leads and then going with the job coach to the interview or to just meet with the manager. I have held numerous jobs under this agency, which helped build my resume. This agency referred me to the last paying job I had at Sims Recycling Solutions before going to Maryland. They also have a day program at their Woodside building, which I attended for a few weeks. They also have housing for people with mental disabilities.
Another service that disabled people use in Maryland is DORS, which stands for the Division of Rehabilitation Services. It is a state agency and is run by the State of Maryland. This services helps people with disabilities get a job and start a career. They also help people who are blind with independent living. They also help businesses find workers to fill positions. According to their website, they offer these services to people looking for a job: vocational guidance & counseling, career assessment, job training, college or technical training, job search, placement and job-keeping services, supported employment and rehabilitation technology.
The third service I will talk about is the Abilities Network. This organization was founded in 1964 for people with epilepsy. They started adding services for people with all disabilities later. Today they have all kinds of services for people with disabilities. This service provider has services specifically for autistic people. These include family training, adult life planning and after-school therapeutic integration. According to the website, the goals of this program are to achieve goals based on the child’s needs and abilities, to increase opportunities for expanding meaningful experiences in the community by reinforcing social, recreational and integrated skills and to assist each family in developing and implementing the structures to be successful in the home.
The fourth and last one I will talk about is The Arc of Maryland, which I have never used before. A friend who I worked with at my last job before I enrolled at Maryland was apart of this organization using job services. They have a similar mission as the other services and organizations that I talked about. They see themselves as a movement, not just an organization unlike the others and fight for people with disabilities
In conclusion, these organizations help people with autism and other disabilities in Maryland. They have job services, counseling, independent living services and day programs. They also help people with disabilities with careers. There are others with the same purpose like Way Station which deals with mental health.
For my next blog, I will talk about bullying off and online and how to deal with it.
