The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council encourages people with disabilities, family members, direct support professionals, providers, and other advocates to speak up about all the issues that are important to you.

There are many opportunities for self-advocates, family members, and others to become involved in the legislative process at the state and Federal level.

This section of the website contains links to information about how to contact your Federal, State, and Local elected officials.

Click on the topic below that you would like to learn more about:

The Council encourages individuals to take responsibility to remain informed and connected about the issues that matter to them.

Disability Advocacy Day

Schedule for 2010 Disability Advocacy Day. You can download the flyer, also [Word document].

January 14              February 25 *
January 28              March 11 *
February 11             March 25 *

* Please check with MDDC staff to confirm these dates – subject to Legislative Session schedule

 

Disability Advocacy Day is an ongoing activity organized by the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council.

This program offers the opportunity for self-advocates, family members, and other interested parties to become more familiar and comfortable participating in the legislative process.

Participants will learn about current issues being considered by the State Legislature that may affect persons with disabilities, and have assistance from team leaders in contacting their own legislators and other policymakers to express their concerns and views. Some individuals participate in this program on a regular basis, and are able to get to know their elected officials personally and become mentors for others who wish to speak up for themselves about the important issues of the day. Some participants attend to see the Statehouse for the first time and learn how the legislative process works, but choose to wait for another time to contact their legislators. There is no requirement for any specific action by participants; the program is intended to provide information and assistance when requested.

Disability Advocacy Day takes place approximately once every other week when the State Legislature is in session, beginning at 9am. Disability Advocacy Day will not be held on a week in which the Legislature is on vacation or not in session due to a holiday. Participants meet in the main lobby of the Cross State Office Building (the building next door to the Statehouse). We provide information and updates to everyone attending, and answer any questions that participants may have. We will also provide assistance to anyone who wants to write a message to his/her legislator. Once we arrive as a group on the 3rd floor of the State House, assistance will be provided as needed in locating and contacting participants' State Representatives and Senators. In some cases, we may even do some role-playing exercises to help people practice their message and feel more comfortable with communicating their message to policymakers.

If your organization or group of individuals is interested in co-hosting Disability Advocacy Day with the DD Council please contact Kathleen Young at kyoung@MaineDDC.org or 207-287-4216 to discuss further details.

The Maine Disability Advocates Coalition - MEDAC

The Maine Disability Advocates Coalition is a coalition of disability advocacy organizations and individuals who meet every second and fourth Tuesday of each month to discuss the important issues and events of relevance to people with disabilities.

If you cannot attend a meeting in person, but would like to participate by telephone, please call the Council office before the meeting to get the tollfree number and access code to use to join the meeting by phone.

Many but not all MEDAC meetings are held at the Council office. Please sign-up for the MEDAC list serve and/or contact Kathleen Young at kyoung@MaineDDC.org or 287-4221 to find out where the next meeting will take place.

Ability Maine has created a listserv and a webpage for MEDAC. The MEDAC listserv allows all participants to send relevant information to all other members. A weekly update providing latest information on legislative issues and meetings is posted to the listserve by the Developmental Disabilities Council every Friday during the state legislative session and at regular intervals during the rest of the year. If you or your organization would like to have information added to this weekly update rather than, or in addition to, sending it directly to the listserv yourself please send the relevant information to kyoung@MaineDDC.org before 5 PM on Thursday during the legislative session to have it included in the weekly update. At times during the year when there is not a weekly update, your information will be included whenever the next update is posted to the listserv.

To join the MEDAC listserv subscribe at medac-subscribe@smartgroups.com.

Important Links

Maine Legislature Home Page
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/

Office of Legislative Information
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/lio/

Senate Home Page
http://www.state.me.us/legis/senate/homepage.htm

House of Representatives Home Page
http://janus.state.me.us/house/homepage.htm

Governor's Website
http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/index.shtml

Joint Standing Committees of the Legislature
http://janus.state.me.us/house/jtcomlst.htm

Check Bill Status
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/search.asp

Find Bills by Key Words
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/

Advance Notice of Public Hearings
http://www.state.me.us/legis/senate/Documents/hearing/ANPHFrame.htm

Sign up to receive Advance Notice of Public Hearings
webmaster_senate@legislature

Public Hearing Schedule
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/lio/phSched.asp

Work Session Schedule
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/lio/wkSched.asp

Weekly Legislative Calendar
http://janus.state.me.us/house/wlc_list.htm

Maine Statutes
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/

Search Maine Statutes
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/search.asp

Maine Legislature Audio Broadcasts
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/audio/

Federal website for election day accessibility comments and complaints
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting