A Statement on AI and Mental Health

By Theresa Metzmaker | January 23, 2026 |
Quote: "We are entering this conversation because we believe people deserve to know. You deserve to know how these tools work, what the research says, and what the risks are. You deserve to make informed decisions about your own care." MDRC logo in corner

From Theresa Metzmaker, CEO, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition At Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (MDRC), we have long celebrated the ways AI and assistive technology can support self-determination, bodily autonomy, and community inclusion for people with disabilities. Our Assistive Technology Program has connected people with tools that increase access to community living for decades. We believe…

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Stronger Together

By Theresa Metzmaker | January 31, 2025 |

A message from our Executive Director, Theresa Metzmaker Dear Disability Community and Parents of Children with Disabilities, My heart is heavy as I write this. I debated long and hard about what to write; it is clear we are under attack. Yesterday, listening to the President of the United States blame the crash on us…

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MDRC Recognized as an Adoption Advocate by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

By Theresa Metzmaker | November 9, 2023 |
[Image Description: Circle with the text 2023 Adoption Advocate Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, inside. The circle also includes the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Logo a white sketch of a person with their arms in the air in the center of a heart. End Image Description]

  Lansing, 11/8/2023: Michigan Disability Rights Coalition (MDRC) is thrilled to announce its recognition as an Adoption Advocate by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption for the year 2023, joining organizations that are leading the way in providing robust adoption benefit programs. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, in partnership with RTI International, conducts an annual survey to identify the…

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A Fidgetarium of Possibility

By Laura Hall | June 1, 2021

One of my minor autistic traits is fidgeting. When I was a kid, I had to learn how to do hidden fidgeting, because people (especially adults) thought fidgeting meant I wasn’t paying attention, or I was acting weird. Actually, I needed to fidget to focus my attention, though I didn’t understand that at the time.…

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AT for Gardening: Containers and Beds

By Abby Squires | May 26, 2020

By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff I’ve been a gardener for years and a vegetable gardener for at least a decade. I joined a vegetable garden farm share program about 20 years ago and loved the fresh veggies from down the road and began exploring some easy options to grow some myself. My farm share…

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Stay Home, Stay Safe with Amazon’s Alexa

By Aimee Sterk | May 12, 2020

By Laura Hall, MATP Staff In the video linked to this blog, I demonstrate just a few of the things you can do with Amazon’s Alexa that could be helpful during this time of “Stay Home, Stay Safe”. The device used in this video is the Echo First Generation, but I also mention the Echo…

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AT for Cutting Without Cuts in the Kitchen: a Vlog!

By Kathryn Wyeth | April 23, 2020

By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff Due to precautions related Covid-19, many of us are cooking from home more.  For someone whose disability impacts their vision, fine motor, hand dexterity, and upper body strength and coordination, cutting and chopping food can be challenging.  Assistive Technology (AT) devices are available that may help.  In the…

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