By HEATHER WRIGHT
Courtesy of The Arc Prince George’s County
Last spring, while volunteering at a day program in Barcelona for those with disabilities, Rachel Fredman struggled with Spanish words during a charades-like game. Members of the disability community coached her, helping her expand her Spanish vocabulary. That experience propelled her to help found Ready 4 Advocacy, a fellowship program for youth in Prince George’s County who have intellectual or developmental disabilities and want to become community advocates and leaders. The program is offered through The Arc Prince George’s County (The Arc PGC), a disability advocacy organization.
“I kind of realized that there was a lack of opportunity … for those with disabilities to be leaders,” Fredman, a University of Maryland senior who is interning with The Arc PGC, said.
In its inaugural year, which began this past September, The Arc’s Ready 4 Advocacy program has 12 fellows, aged 16 to 25, who each receive a $500 stipend for their year-long participation, according to Fredman. Fellows meet twice a month, do weekly check-ins with a coach, practice social and advocacy skills, learn about mental health and wellness, volunteer for 15 hours in the community, and serve as peer ambassadors for The Arc PGC.
On Feb. 13, Fredman and other disability activists will journey to Annapolis for Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature (DD Day). At least three fellows from the Ready 4 Advocacy program will go with a larger group from The Arc PGC, ready and eager to practice their leadership and communication skills as they advocate for disability support and awareness.
“My hope for DD Day is that people with disabilities, that we come together, and we show our legislators that we’re strong, we’re a strong community, that we have a strong voice and that we’re unified,” said Emmanuel James-Brooks, 20, Glenarden resident and Ready 4 Advocacy fellow.
Self advocate and Temple Hills resident Nnena Wilson, who mentors program fellows and is on Ready 4 Action’s advisory board, agreed: “My hopes for the day are that, number one, the disability community comes and represents themselves strongly to let legislators know that we, as a disabled community, are here — we’re strong, and we’re powerful, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Program fellow Sheldon Brown, 19, from Upper Marlboro, told the Life & Times, “I want our budget for people with disabilities to be increased rather than be decreased.”
“Please do not reduce our budget [by] almost $200 million, please,” The Arc PGC’s Melonee Clark said. Clark, who helped found and currently supervises Ready 4 Action, said she wants to give this message to the governor during DD Day. In his fiscal year 2026 budget, Gov. Wes Moore proposed a more than $200 million cut from the Developmental Disabilities Administration. “We want to let him know the impact that that will have on the developmental disability community; it’s so drastic, it’s scary,” Clark, a long-time Laurel resident who has worked with The Arc PGC for more than 20 years, said.
She and Wilson both noted the impact these budget cuts would have on the disability community’s ability to access the support of direct-service professionals, or DSPs. A DSP, according to Wilson, “is an essential assistant to a person with a disability,” helping with daily living skills, like getting dressed, eating breakfast, showering, taking medicine and accessing transportation.
Brown said he also wanted to promote Eric’s ID Law during DD Day. The Maryland bill would allow people with invisible disabilities, such as autism, mental health concerns or a hearing impairment, to add an identifying logo to their state IDs.
Fredman explained that, as part of the program, the fellows have already registered to vote, practiced handshakes and elevator pitches, and learned how to dress for professional occasions. They’ve learned about state and county government officials, as well as legislation impacting the disability community. They are also familiar with other programs offered by The Arc PGC.
Clark said that the fellows are learning to talk about mental health and wellness; she emphasized that this awareness helps them connect with their broader community. “[Wellness is] one thing that doesn’t have to deal with disability,” she said. “The eight dimensions of wellness is for everyone — so it’s more of an inclusive conversation that they can share with their parents, with their relatives, and know that they have that down.”
James-Brooks said that the Ready 4 Advocacy program has connected him to his community and enabled him to advocate for himself and others with disabilities. “The best part about the program is that you get to be something that’s bigger than yourself — a community,” he explained. “Together, you and other classmates, you get to learn how to communicate and stand up for yourself.”
Fredman said that program fellows have already had opportunities for leadership with The Arc PGC. She explained how they organized and hosted a virtual game night for the community. “What I really liked about the game night was that I didn’t speak at all,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is what it’s all about.’ The program was giving a space where people with disabilities could lead.”
Clark said that the fellows will have other leadership roles, including at The Arc PGC’s summer health fair, which will be themed around mental health. “The fellows will be taking the lead; they will be on the mic, they will be at the front greeting people, they will be hosting, facilitating some of the carnival-like games that we plan on having,” she explained. “We want to take this to another level where the fellows are in the front, and we’re in the back.”