Prince George's County disability forum puts council candidates on the spot

Prince George’s County council candidates will face a disability-focused audience in Largo this weekend, where voters plan to press them on sidewalks, buses, paratransit, housing and county services that shape daily life. The nonpartisan meet-and-greet has already drawn 132 registered residents and 24 of the 38 council candidates, a turnout that suggests disability policy is landing as an election issue, not a side conversation.

The forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 8 at Prince George’s Community College’s Performing Arts Center, 301 Largo Road. It is being organized by Veronica Davila Steele, chair of the Prince George’s County Commission for Individuals with Disabilities, along with other advocates who want candidates to address accessibility and inclusion directly. The event is open to residents with disabilities, families, caregivers, providers and allies, and the Prince George’s Provider Council said participating candidates also completed a questionnaire based on concerns raised by the disability community.

That questionnaire reflects the questions many disabled residents say they need answered before the June 23 primary. Organizers want candidates to say how they would improve accessible public transit, paratransit, mental-health support, housing, employment, services and participation in county decision-making. The commission, founded in 1986, says its work covers accessibility, community services, employment, housing, transportation, education and recreation, a broad mandate that mirrors the daily barriers many residents face when a curb cut is missing or a county service is hard to reach.

County data show the disability population is substantial. The Prince George’s County Health Department estimates 99,654 residents with mental, physical or emotional disabilities from 2020 to 2024, and the county says those figures are used to understand the size, distribution and needs of the disabled population. Advocates say that number likely understates the full picture, but it still signals a large constituency whose concerns can affect voting behavior in a county where all 11 council seats are held by Democrats and three candidates are unopposed in the primary.

The forum also builds on earlier disability advocacy in Prince George’s County. A county executive candidate forum in February 2025 asked contenders how they would improve services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, fund mental-health programs, and expand accessible public transportation and paratransit. More recently, providers and parents testifying at May 2026 county council budget hearings pushed for higher funding for the Direct Support Professional supplement, underscoring that the debate is not abstract. It is about whether county government will fund the workforce, transportation and access residents need to move through Prince George’s County with dignity.