This fall, Fello is celebrating a milestone that’s bigger than just a number. Join us on Saturday, October 3, 2026, for Fello at 65, an evening marking six and a half decades of impact, connection, and community. Together, we’ll celebrate the people, families, and partners whose support and advocacy have shaped our story and helped build a more equitable Maryland for everyone. 

Tickets are now on sale, and we invite you to be part of this special celebration.  

Since 1961, Fello has been creating opportunities, removing barriers, and helping people build the lives they want for themselves. What began as a grassroots movement led by families has grown into one of Maryland’s leading providers of disability services and inclusive housing. While much has changed over the years, we remain grounded in a simple belief: everyone deserves the opportunity to live the life they choose.  

What to Expect 

Fello at 65 will bring together supporters, community leaders, advocates, and friends for an evening of celebration and reflection. Guests will enjoy exceptional food, live music, and inspiring stories that highlight Fello’s lasting impact across Maryland over the last six and a half decades.   

The evening will also feature a special awards presentation recognizing five honorees whose leadership, generosity, and advocacy have expanded opportunities and strengthened communities across Maryland. Attendees can look forward to celebrating an extraordinary group whose contributions reflect the values that have shaped Fello’s past, continue to guide our work today, and point toward the future we’re building together.   

Event Details & Ticket Info

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Location: The Hall at Live!
Tickets: $150

Individual tickets are now on sale. Tables of eight are also available, contact us to reserve yours today. Tables are expected to fill quickly—reserve your seats at this memorable event early.  

“Our 65th Anniversary celebration will be more than a reflection on Fello’s milestones—it will be a tribute to the many Marylanders who have been part of Fello’s journey,” said Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO. “This milestone is about community and the relationships that have shaped our work over time. We hope you will join us as we celebrate together.”  

This Pride Month, Fello was proud to join communities across Maryland in celebration of visibility, inclusion, and belonging.  

On June 13, Fello team members attended Catonsville Pride and Delmarva Pride, joining hundreds of community members, advocates, allies, and organizations to honor and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.  

Across both festivals, people gathered to celebrate identity, build connections, and demonstrate their commitment to creating communities where everyone is welcomed and valued. Fello team members spent the day meeting attendees, sharing information about our work, and connecting with people who share our vision for a more inclusive Maryland. 

The following day, Fello also participated in the Delmarva Pride Center Brunch, bringing together advocates, community leaders, and supporters for meaningful conversations about inclusion, equity, and the work that continues long after Pride Month ends. 

“It’s wonderful to see Pride events in Maryland grow each year. Catonsville and Easton are examples of how these events bring hundreds of people together to celebrate the community,” said Joan Green, Director of Community Engagement. “Fello was glad for the opportunity to introduce our work, make new connections, and above all, stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community.” 

For more than 65 years, Fello has worked to create opportunities, remove barriers, and help people build the lives they want. Our commitment to inclusion is rooted in both our mission and our culture. 

Every day, we support people in living the lives they choose, pursuing their goals, and participating fully in their communities. We also strive to create a workplace where employees feel welcomed, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. Those values are at the heart of everything we do—and they’re reflected in our support of events that celebrate belonging, visibility, and self-expression. 

Pride is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder that inclusion requires ongoing action. At Fello, we’re committed to creating communities where people can live authentically, feel welcomed, and experience a true sense of belonging—not just during Pride Month, but every day of the year. 

This year, as Fello celebrates 65 years of supporting people with disabilities and building inclusive communities, we’re reflecting on the history of the disability rights movement and the milestones that helped shape the work we do today. 

For decades, advocates worked toward a powerful goal: the right for people with disabilities to live, work, and participate fully in their communities. By the 2000s, many of those hard-fought victories began to transform the everyday experiences of people with disabilities in community life. 

The decade marked a turning point. Institutions continued to close, self-directed services expanded, and new opportunities emerged for people with disabilities to pursue employment, housing, and greater independence. Just as importantly, public perceptions continued to evolve, reinforcing the growing understanding that people with disabilities belong in every part of community life.  

The End of Rosewood 

By the early 2000s, the shift away from institutionalization was well underway. States had been closing facilities since the 1980s, and changing public attitudes, legal challenges, and growing evidence of the benefits of community living accelerated the trend. By 2004, the number of Americans living in institutions had declined 79% from its 1967 peak. 

Maryland was part of that transformation. Over time, the state closed major facilities, including Henryton State Hospital in 1985, Great Oaks Center in 1996, and Crownsville State Hospital in 2004. But few closures carried greater symbolic significance than the closing of Rosewood Center. 

For over a century, Rosewood stood as Maryland’s largest institution for people with disabilities. By the late 2000s, incidents, investigations, and a critical report from the Maryland Disability Law Center made one thing clear: an inclusive Maryland wouldn’t be possible while Rosewood remained open. Years of sustained advocacy intensified calls for change.  

On January 15, 2008, Governor Martin O’Malley issued an executive order to close Rosewood. Less than eighteen months later, on June 30, 2009, Rosewood permanently closed—bringing an end to a painful chapter in Maryland’s history and marking the beginning of a new era of community participation and belonging. 

Self-Direction Comes to Maryland 

As more people with disabilities moved into communities, demand for services continued to grow. Families and advocates increasingly pushed for approaches that offered greater flexibility and personal choice. One model began to stand out: self-direction. 

Early pilot programs across the country demonstrated promising results. Between 1997 and 2001, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported self-direction pilots in more than 18 states. In Maryland, a grant enabled 15 people with disabilities across four counties to manage their own services—and participants reported stronger social connections, greater satisfaction with services, and increased independence.  

Maryland embraced the model. In 2005, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) launched New Directions, a statewide program that allowed up to 100 Marylanders to direct their own services. That program became the foundation for the self-direction model that thousands across the state rely on today. 

Fello has been part of that work from the beginning. Since 2006, we have served as Maryland’s largest Financial Management Services (FMS) provider, supporting thousands of people in navigating Self-Directed Services and exercising greater choice in their daily lives. 

New Opportunities for Housing & Employment 

As barriers to community participation began to fall, attention increasingly turned toward two essential building blocks of independence: housing and employment.  

Across the country, new housing models emerged to support people with disabilities who wanted alternatives to institutional settings. 

By 2002, the number of group homes nationwide had tripled over the previous decade, and advocates pushed for greater access to affordable housing that allowed people to live where and with whom they chose. 

In Maryland, Fello helped advance that vision through our A Home of Your Own Project, launched in 1999. By the early 2000s, hundreds of Marylanders had benefited from the program, pursuing homeownership and securing housing that offered greater independence and stability. 

Today, Fello Communities carries that work forward, creating quality, affordable homes that help people live the lives they choose. 

Unemployment was also a barrier. At the start of the decade, only 23% of people with a disability in the U.S. worked an integrated job in the community. Closing that gap meant creating jobs that matched people’s strengths. 

Customized employment emerged as an innovative approach that focuses on each person’s unique talents and goals. Programs built around this model demonstrated that people with significant disabilities could succeed in competitive employment when provided the right supports. In 2003, a Maryland initiative achieved an 89% employment rate for participating people with significant developmental disabilities over four years. 

Fello launched its own customized employment program in 2004, opening new avenues to meaningful work and economic independence. More than 20 years later, our workforce development program continues to provide comprehensive support, helping people with disabilities not just find jobs, but thrive in them. 

The Power of Words 

The disability rights movement has always been about more than laws and services. It has also been about dignity, respect, and how society talks about disability.  

During the 2000s, a growing movement challenged the continued use of the “R-word.” Once a clinical term, it had long since evolved into a widely used insult and a source of exclusion for people with disabilities and their families. Advocates argued that language shapes perceptions—and that changing language was an important step toward creating more inclusive communities.   

The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, launched in 2009, brought the conversation to millions. It inspired widespread pledges of support for respectful language. News media use of the word dropped sharply between 2006 and 2010, and the momentum eventually reached the federal level. 

In 2010, Rosa’s Law removed the term from federal statutes and replaced it with more respectful language. The legislation was inspired by Rosa Marcellino, a young Marylander whose advocacy helped drive change nationwide. 

The campaign demonstrated a lesson that has guided advocates for generations: when people challenge assumptions and speak up for inclusion, culture can change.   

The Decade That Opened Doors 

The 2000s were a decade of expanding possibilities.  

Institutions continued to close. Self-direction gave people greater control over their services. New pathways for employment and housing became more accessible. The language around disability evolved, too—moving toward greater accuracy and respect. 

By the end of the decade, more people with disabilities were living, working, and participating in their communities than ever before.  

The progress achieved during the 2000s reflected a belief that has guided Fello since 1961: every person deserves to build the life they choose, and communities are stronger when everyone has the chance to belong.  

Next in the series: The 2010s—healthcare reform, employment-first policies, and Fello’s continued expansion of person-centered services across Maryland.