See ME. See My Ability

Maryland and Virginia Arcs spoke this past Thursday at the 60-Hour Vigil to Save Medicaid near the Capitol Building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The consensus: It's not too late to save those (now cut)  federal funds that support state and local Medicaid programs. And, all should fight to do so as the effects of the cuts are detrimental to able-bodied persons as well as those in the IDD community.

Welcome to this special episode of See Me, See My Ability, where we shine a spotlight on the incredible athletes of Arc Southern Maryland who recently competed in the Special Olympics! We’re celebrating determination, teamwork, and the power of inclusion as we hear from participants and supporters who made this unforgettable experience possible. From countless practice and training sessions to competition and the friendships built ...

A conversation with Tracy Wright, the Deputy  Director of Training, Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities, People On the Go, Maryland, with Arc So MD podcast host, Rita Rich.

While we're enjoying the fireworks and the cookouts, remember that educating others about disability rights and the abilities of the IDD community is still a great topic of discussion on American Independence Day.  

Photos: Tracy Wright and People on ...

Communications skills, or using one's voice, adaptive technology, mobile apps, and the written word, have been emphasized in recent See Me, See My Ability Podcasts. This episode, Horses Know Us Best, a visit to the Greenwell Foundation in Hollywood, Maryland, is all about horses' magical abilities to know what we want and need without using any sounds. For many in the IDD community, this is a godsend. The director of Equestrian pro...

Meet advocates and Arc allies, Lance McLemore is a member of ImpAACt Voices’ Board of Directors, and ImpAACt Voices volunteer and advocate Chris Klein, who recently authored a book titled My Big Toe: A Story of Perseverance. There's a reason why ImpAACt is spelled with two letter A's in the middle, as well as a capital C. Those A's stand for Augmentative Alternative and the "C" stands for Communication-such as devices and technolog...

There's nothing that puts the brakes on your social life like not having some wheels at your disposal. But, the participants of Arc Southern Maryland, thanks to generous grants from The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) and the Maryland Department of Aging, have wheels. It's called the Ability Cab. Two St. Mary's County residents are in love and have grown their relationship thanks to the Ability Cab. You have to reserve it in advance. ...

The IDD community loves to be social and together. But, sometimes those with intellectual or developmental disabilities have problems picking up on when people are flirting with them, or want to have a conversation with them, or just want to hang out. If you’ve ever watched programs on cable TV featuring those on the Spectrum, you’ll be interested in this podcast. It’s about the people who advise that show, and train hundreds the s...

We're always in training at the Arc Southern Maryland. Our personal support staff and others are always learning how to be better teachers and aides to those who use our services.  

An expert named Emoke Fox, a seventeen-year veteran of working with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, from a company specializing in teaching safe ways to have all sorts of relationships, visited our campuses through Charles, Calve...

There's still time to plan to attend our Day at the Derby on Saturday, May 3! It's at the beautiful Perigeaux Winery in St. Leonard, in Calvert County, Maryland.  https://perigeaux.com/  This is our Fourth Annual Day at the Derby and promises to be better than ever! Find out more here at arcsomd.org/derby

New this year, we're naming the Queen and King of the Derby! You'll get an introduction to them in this podcast!

Find out why th...

Suppose you are a parent or relative of a person who was diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability, and you want to learn more about post-grade school/public school help. In that case, Stacey Warner is your go-to person. 

Ms.  Warner spoke to our podcast's host, Rita Rich, about the services she is helping families navigate in our three-county region of Maryland. Listen and learn more about what financial and other...

This is the second of two episodes celebrating Women's History Month with Arc St. Mary's resident and lifelong St. Mary's County resident Cheryl Knott. Both sides of Cheryl's family tree have called Southern Maryland home since the 17th Century before there was even a United States of America. Cheryl's own experiences as a woman with birth defects and physical disabilities show how social barriers were broken down by the advocacy o...

In honor of Women's History Month, this is the first of two episodes featuring one of our friends and residents, Cheryl Knott. Cheryl has roots in St. Mary's County Maryland that go back to the rule of King Henry VIII of England, when the state was one of the English colonies. Listen as Cheryl talks about growing up with physical disabilities and how her family and others advocated for her, and others, to be seen and heard in Maryl...

If you have new cell phones or Pad-type personal computers consider downloading Voice-to-Text apps. They help people who, for many reasons, have trouble speaking. One types words into a gadget and an artificial voice speaks out loud for them. This episode was produced at the Twin Beaches Branch of the Calvert County Library and features Connor Porecki, his parents Benjie and Kathleen, podcasting students of the ARC Southern Marylan...

Correction: 3/11/2025 Re the contact to get in touch with People on the Go Southern Maryland please contact For more information on joining the group, please contact Alyssa Thomas athomas@arcsomd.org. Ms. Weed is no longer the primary contact for more information even though you are hearing her voice in this podcast. 

Self-advocacy is one of the things that the podcasting class and the See Me. See My Ability Podcast of the Arc-Sout...

This is a special bonus podcast episode! We usually post bi-weekly. But we have a call to action.

Alarms have been sounding throughout the developmental disabilities communities about the proposed changes to Maryland's State Budget that would cut staff and services for us and our loved ones. On January 16th the ARC Montgomery County organized a closed call with the CEO of the ARC Maryland, Ande Kolp, Laura Howell the Chief Executiv...