March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and many great events have already happened, including Quality Trust’s annual Better Together Reception. It was great to see so many friends and supporters in-person for the first time since 2020. I hope you all enjoyed the conversation and food as much as I did. A special thank you to our amazing sponsors: Karen Davis and Clark Madigan, GRF CPAs and Advisors, Marcum LLP, Polinger Company, Shared Horizons, and our newest sponsor, Washington Gas. This year, celebrating respect, belonging, community, and inclusion really was BETTER TOGETHER!

You can find the full schedule of DD Awareness Month events on the Department on Disability Services (DDS) website.

This is also an important month for advocacy with the DC Council. The Budget Hearing for DDS will be held online on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. You can sign up to testify live at www.janeeseward4.com/testify or email your written testimony to facilities@dccouncil.gov. One important issue for this year’s budget hearing is asking the DC Council to make sure that funds are included to fulfill the Direct Support Professional Payment Rate Act of 2020, which increased the hourly pay for the provider staff who support people with disabilities on a day-to-day basis. Another important issue is asking the DC Council to include funds to increase the personal needs allowance (PNA) for people who receive residential supports from DDS. The PNA for people living in facilities was recently increased from $70 to $100 per month with an annual cost-of-living increase in the future. The current PNA for people living in the community with supports from DDS hasn’t changed for many years and does not get an annual cost-of-living increase. Make sure your voice is heard on the issues that are important to you and your family!