Formula Grant H240A260021

Disability Rights Maryland, Inc., doing business as Maryland Disability Law Center, received a Formula Grant award of $305,012 from the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under the Program of Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR, CFDA 84.240). The award, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, supports the organization's core mission as Maryland's designated protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities. Through this funding, the organization delivers comprehensive legal advocacy and rights protection services, including legal representation, information and referral services, dispute resolution, and alternative mediation procedures to ensure eligible individuals with disabilities receive protection of their legal and civil rights.

The PAIR program requires the awardee to maintain established systems for protecting and advocating individual rights, develop annual priority statements with public input, establish client grievance procedures, and pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies to protect disability rights. Disability Rights Maryland utilizes PAIR funding to supplement existing advocacy efforts without displacing other available funding sources, consistent with federal requirements under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Education Department General Administrative Regulations outlined in 34 CFR Part 381.