State to qualify for certain federal grants Formerly
under the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, the Council was placed within the former
Office for Handicapped Individuals in 1987 (Ex
ecunve Order 01 01 1987 08) The Council now is
parr of the Office for Individuals with Disabilities
The Council serves as an advocate for persons
with developmental disabilities The Council also
develops the State plan on developmental dis-
abilities and monitors, reviews, and evaluates its
implementation The Council annually awards
funding for demonstration proJects that enable
people with developmental disabilities to become
independent, productive citizens in their corn
munines
The Governor appoints the members of the
Council At least half the Council consists of per-
sons with developmental disabilities or their parents
or guardians, or immediate relatives or guardians of
persons with mentally impairing developmental
disabilities Of these, at least one third must be
persons with developmental disabilities (U S
Code, Title 42, sec 6024)

GOVERNORS COMMITTEE ON
EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES
John A Clinton, Chairperson^ 1991

Appointed by Governor (who also designates chair)
Pacncia Sanders Term expires 1990

Harsha Desai, William B Fox, Charles F Meyer,
David A Thompson Terms expire 1991

Denny Bowers, Pauline R Covino, Peggy K
Martin, Emanuel Orenberg, Jack R Seymour,
Charles J Tarrant, Anne R Wade; Jacqueline
Wiggins Terms expire 1992

Nancy Boyle, Mary A Conroy, James S Jeffers,
Ervina Kennedy Phillips, Celeste Morgan, Frank
Ortega, Denise K Ovelgone, Paul Rendine, M
Eugene Spurrier, Stanley W Stocker, James A
Teramani, H Pat Walker, Margaret R
Widner-Kolberg, Rodney J Wiesinger Terms
expire 1993

Ex officw Chairpersons of County Committees on
Employment of People with Disabilities

333 2263

The Governor's Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities originated in 1947 as the
Governor's Committee to Promote Employment of
the Handicapped It was renamed the Governor's
Committee on Employment of the Handicapped in
1979 In 1980, the Committee was placed under
the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in the
State Department of Education (Executive Order
01 01 1980 12) The Committee became part of
the former Office for Handicapped Individuals in

Constitutional Offices & Agencies/159

1987 (Executive Order 01 01 1987 09) and
received its present name in 1989 The Committee
is within the Office for Individuals with Disabilities
The Committee works to create a public aware
ness of the problems that people with disabilities
face in finding employment It cooperates with all
groups, public and private, in promoting services
for individuals with disabilities The Committee also
initiates and publicizes programs to stimulate hiring
of persons with disabilities
The Committee promotes meaningful employ-
ment opportunities for qualified mentally, physical-
ly and emotionally disabled individuals as defined
by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended The
Committee strives to enhance public awareness and
understanding of barriers to employment that dis-
abled individuals face and of the laws that ensure
equal opportunity The Committee also informs
people with disabilities of opportunities available
for habilitacion and rehabilitation so that they may
develop marketable job skills
The Committee sponsors annual conferences,
awards programs, and poster and Journalism con
tests to promote public awareness of employment
and rehabilitation programs for Maryland's dis-
abled citizens

Local committees exist in many counties and in
Baltimore City A quarterly newsletter,
MainstreaMer, is distributed to citizens and
employers interested in Committee objectives and
to others upon request
The Committee consists of thirty five members
The Governor appoints members for three-year
terms and designates the chairperson

TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
JayW Bnll, Director
333 4812

The Technology Assistance Program (TAP)
provides information and technology services to
people with disabilities Created in 1990, the Pro
gram is funded by a grant from the National In-
stitute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of
the U S Department of Education Maryland was
one of the first states to receive such a grant
To enhance the quality of bfe for Marylanders
with disabilities, the Program helps people to lo-
cate, evaluate, and purchase adaptive devices The
Program provides technology related training and
referral services in cooperation with the Depart
mcnt of Health and Mental Hygiene In 1990, the
Program helped to form the Clearinghouse for
Rehabilitation and Technology Information within
the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
The Program has established three model tech-
nology demonstration centers with a main site at
the Maryland Rehabilitation Center in Baltimore
and sites in Cumberland and Salisbury where rech-