Michigan Disability Rights Coalition

05/30/2026

There are still a few spots left!

05/29/2026

Mental Health Awareness Month is coming to a close, but you won't hear MDRC stop talking about mental health.

We are proud to advocate for and to incorporate mental health dialogue into all of our work. We are even prouder to name it as an identity held by several of our staff members, including me, as a person with a mental health disability.

As the month ends, I want to celebrate the MDRC staff who bring their full selves to this organization and share their identity with those we work with. However we came to claim it, I am so glad you are here, sharing your experience with a pride that radically shifts the world we live in and challenges society's pull toward hiding the parts of ourselves that can't be separated from how we move through the world.

At MDRC, our staff are reducing shame and stigma in realtime, in action:

- By sharing their stories in presentations with youth, adults, and parents, refusing the silence that stigma demands.

- By teaching that mental health is a disability rights issue, and that accommodation is a right, not a favor.

- By sharing assistive technology for mental health, and how to use it, through our Assistive Technology Program.

- By managing teams where mental health is met with equity and thoughtfulness, not suspicion, showing that you can be open about your mental health and still be trusted, valued, and in a leadership role, with MDRC providing accommodations for managers and staff alike.

This is disability justice. It means the people most affected are the ones leading, moving us from awareness to action, from stigma to pride.

To every MDRC staff member who has shared a piece of their own story so that someone else feels less alone: thank you.

I'm proud of the work of MDRC, and I'm proud to do this work alongside you.

-- Theresa Metzmaker Executive Director, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition

[Image description: Square MDRC-branded quote graphic with a white background, navy text, teal and purple accents, and geometric shapes. The quote from Theresa Metzmaker says MDRC is proud to advocate for mental health dialogue and to name mental health disability as an identity held by staff members, including her.]

05/29/2026

Check out all the happenings at MDRC in our latest newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/mymdrc.org/disability-leadership-digital-access-and-whats-next-at-mdrc

[Image description: Square graphic with a dark purple and navy gradient background and bright pink accents. A white MDRC logo badge appears in the upper left. Large white text reads, “Read Our Latest Newsletter.” Smaller text says, “Updates, events, and resources from Michigan Disability Rights Coalition.”]

05/29/2026

This is such a cool event. Mark your calendars!

Breaking Barriers Day is a celebration of creativity, community, and connection! Join us at the Lansing Shuffle (325 Riverfront Dr, Lansing, MI 48912) for the opening reception of the Breaking Barriers Art Exhibit. Artwork by artists with developmental disabilities from across Michigan will be featu...

05/28/2026

Disability inclusion at work takes more than compliance. It takes commitment, strategy, and community. Join LEAD-IN’s Community of Practice, an ongoing, solutions-focused space for employers and organizations that want to build more inclusive workplaces.

Together, participants will explore how to:

• Strengthen inclusive hiring and retention
• Improve accommodation practices
• Build sustainable support systems
• Learn alongside peer organizations
• Advance inclusive employment practices

Whether your organization is just getting started or ready to deepen its disability inclusion work, this community is designed to help you take meaningful next steps.

Join us: https://tinyurl.com/Lead-IN25

The LEAD-IN Program is funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council and is part of the work of MDRC.

[Image description: Square promotional graphic for the LEAD-IN Community of Practice. The graphic includes the LEAD Inclusive Network logo, the headline “LEAD-IN Community of Practice,” and text about workplace disability inclusion. A photo shows people sitting in a modern meeting room watching a presentation about disability models. Large screens show information about different ways society views disability. Some people are taking notes, and one person using a wheelchair is near the front. The graphic also includes a list of topics for employers, the link tinyurl.com/LEAD-IN25, and the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council logo with the note that the program is funded by MiDDC.]

05/28/2026

The session will explore the often overlooked history of disability, centering the voices, movements, and milestones that have shaped disability rights and justice today.

05/28/2026

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month we're highlighting assistive technology (AT) that can support mental health and wellness. Here are some of our favorite mobile apps that can help with emotional regulation, building healthy routines, and making tasks feel more manageable:

Finch: AT Specialist Caitlin Hurban's favorite. This app adds fun and motivation to building healthy habits through a self-care pet game to work toward your personal routines and goals. Learn more here: https://finchcare.com/

Calm: Supports relaxation and mindfulness with guided meditations, sleep stories, and breathing exercises. Note: many features require a paid subscription. Check it out: https://www.calm.com/

PTSD Coach: Recommended by MATP Program Director Aimee Sterk. Developed by the VA, this free app helps people manage stress, track symptoms, and learn coping strategies after experiencing trauma. Learn more: https://mobile.va.gov/app/ptsd-coach

A companion to the PTSD coach is PTSD Family Coach: Living with a family member who has PTSD can be stressful. This free VA app is designed for concerned family members and loved ones. It can help you learn about PTSD, take care of yourself, manage your relationship, and support your loved one in getting the treatment they deserve. See more: https://mobile.va.gov/app/ptsd-family-coach

Goblin Tools: One of AT Specialist Abby Squires's favorites. Goblin Tools is a collection of small, simple, AI-powered tools designed to help people (especially those who are neurodivergent) manage tasks that feel overwhelming or complicated. Tools include Magic ToDo, which breaks complex tasks into smaller steps; Formalizer, which adjusts the tone of your writing; Judge, which identifies the emotional tone of a piece of text; Professor, which explains topics in simple terms; Estimator, which approximates how long a task will take, and more! Learn more: https://goblin.tools/

Have you tried any of these apps? Are there others you'd recommend? Share them in the comments so we can build a list together!

[ID: A flyer for mobile apps for Mental health, has a picture of a phone with the finch app picture of a Birb with text: "Finch- Build healthy habits with a little fun.", the Calm logo with text: "Calm: support relaxation and mindfulness.", PTSD Coach logo with text: "PTSD Coach- Manage stress, track symptoms and learn coping strategies.", and a Goblin Tools logo with text: "Goblin tools- simple, single-task tools to help manage overwhelming tasks." There is a succulent to the left of the phone and both are upright on a desk. A MATP logo is on the bottom left. Text: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Support in Your Pocket. Mobile apps can support emotional regulation, healthy routines, and managing everyday tasks. End text.]

05/27/2026

Want to build your disability advocacy skills and connect with others working toward change?

Join MDRC for our Disability Advocacy Training Series, a set of virtual trainings focused on assisting advocates looking to create more inclusive communities. This series promotes building power by working in community to strengthen disability justice, advocacy, and inclusion.

Registration is open now.

Sign up for individual trainings on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/disability-advocacy-training-series-4844798

Together, we can build stronger, more inclusive communities led by disabled people and rooted in justice.

[Image description: Square promotional graphic for the Disability Advocacy Training Series. The top includes the Leaders for Inclusion and Michigan Disability Rights Coalition logos. Large navy text reads “Disability Advocacy Training Series.” Below, three virtual trainings are listed with dates and times: Cause Advocacy Part 1 on Thursday, June 11; Cause Advocacy Part 2 on Thursday, June 18; and Disability Advocacy Workshop: Preparing for Meetings with Legislators on Thursday, June 25. Each training runs from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. The graphic notes that ASL and CART captioning are provided and includes a green “Register on Eventbrite” button. The bottom includes details about how MiDDC funds the program and its logo.]

05/27/2026

There's still time to register for tomorrow's virtual discussion about disability history. We hope you'll join us!

Disability history is rich, powerful, and too often overlooked.

Join Leaders for Inclusion (LFI) for Disability History: A Look Back at Oppression, Resistance & Leaders, a virtual session exploring the voices, movements, milestones, and grassroots organizing that helped shape disability rights and justice today.

Presenters, people with disabilities themselves, will share a disability history timeline, from early institutionalization and exclusion to the advocacy and organizing that pushed landmark policy changes forward.

Thursday, May 28
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Virtual event
ASL and CART captioning provided

Register today: LfiDisabilityHistory.eventbrite.com

The LFI Program is funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council.

[Image Description: Square promotional graphic for a virtual Leaders for Inclusion training hosted by the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition. The top includes the LFI logo and the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition logo. Large navy text reads, “Disability History: A Look Back at Oppression, Resistance & Leaders.” The event is listed for Thursday, May 28, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The description says the session will explore the often overlooked history of disability, centering the voices, movements, and milestones that have shaped disability rights and justice today. It notes that presenters will cover a disability history timeline from early institutionalization and exclusion to grassroots organizing that pushed landmark policy changes. ASL and CART captioning will be provided. Registration is listed as LfiDisabilityHistory.eventbrite.com, with a “Register Today!” button. On the right is a circular photo of three disabled people outside, smiling and laughing together. The bottom notes that the LFI Program is funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council and includes the MiDDC logo.]