The Arc Maryland Personal Space Program Curriculum Guide | Page 4

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the numerous individuals who played a role in the development of this curriculum:
Cristy Marchand, Executive Director of The Arc of Maryland for your willingness to forge new paths. The
Gender Violence Prevention Research and Development Team for all of your time spent processing,
creating, and revising. Mindy Morrell, former Executive Director of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities
Council, for adding Laura to our team and then for allowing me to continue on the project after moving to the
Council. Diane Coughlin and Nancy Kirchner for your support of self-advocacy efforts in Maryland that form
the foundation of all of our work. Harriet Yaffe, Mac Ramsey, Mary Funk, and Margie Diekmann for
allowing us to bring Personal SPACE to your organizations and working with us to make each of our pilot
programs so successful. Jackie Brooks for showing us just how supportive direct care staff can be. Charles
Harrington for your willingness to step in at the last moment and add your creative flair. Sharon Davis and
Leigh Ann Davis at The Arc of the United States for your careful review of the draft curriculum and your
thoughtful comments. To the presenters at the Violence Against Women with Developmental Disabilities:
Responding to the Crisis Conference—Dick Sobsey, Julia Spann, Mary Ann Curry, Marc Dubin, Maria
Hanson, Sharon Bickel, Colonel David Mitchell, Colonel Douglas Holland, Retired Detective Dan Cleavis,
Officer Brian Waters, Karen Eggeling, Michelle Paynter, and Gayle Hafner and the other women who bravely
spoke out against violence—thank you to each of you. Your work against violence inspires us and helped us
to clarify our message. To the staff at the Administration on Developmental Disabilities for your support,
assistance, and patience, in particular Sue Swenson for all your work on behalf of self-advocates and families,
and—before she left for new challenges—Patricia Laird for your sense of humor and ability to see what is
important. Thank you as well to the staff at The Arc of Maryland, especially Susan McGarry for your
patience and good heart.
I would especially like to thank People on the Go of Maryland, our self-advocate trainers, and the women who
participated in the two pilot programs. This curriculum would not exist if it were not for the long history of
Self-Advocacy in Maryland that encourages us all to keep working for civil rights and inclusive communities.
Finally, I would like to thank my family, Ben, Tara, and Tavis, and especially Asher, who brought me to this
work.
—Catriona Johnson

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