Carol Beatty, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities, is the recipient of The Arc Baltimore’s 2021 Public Service Award.
Presented at The Arc Baltimore’s recent Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, the Public Service Award recognizes individuals who advance The Arc’s mission by increasing public awareness and advancing the rights and quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities.
For most of her professional life, Secretary Beatty has been involved in supporting people with developmental disabilities. Prior to her current role, she was the long-time Executive Director of The Arc Baltimore’s sister agency, The Arc of Howard County. In 2015, she was sworn in as Governor Hogan’s Secretary of the Department of Disabilities.
Since the earliest days of COVID, Secretary Beatty has been a critical voice at the highest level for people with disabilities, providing vital advocacy to ensure people with disabilities were acknowledged and supported. She urged Governor Hogan to amend his executive order to recognize disabilities services as health care providers and essential businesses. She also made it allowable for The Arc’s community living homes to make bulk purchases despite grocery limits, and advocated for the DD community to have better access to COVID testing.
The Arc Baltimore’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony featured the election of the organization’s new board of directors and officers, and award recognitions for those who have gone above and beyond in their service to The Arc Baltimore.
“The hard work and dedication of all of our award recipients and nominees, and so many others, is the critical component which enables The Arc Baltimore to support people with developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives with a sense of belonging, purpose, and meaningful relationships,” notes The Arc’s Chief Executive Officer, Kathleen McNally Durkin.
About The Arc Baltimore
The Arc Baltimore supports people with developmental disabilities (autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability) to lead fulfilling lives with a sense of belonging, purpose, and meaningful relationships. The Arc Baltimore is an indispensable resource, providing employment training and support, day and residential services, family support and education, treatment foster care, respite care, public policy advocacy, and information and referrals. For more information, visit www.thearcbaltimore.org or call 410-296-2272.
