Laura Kennedy is slated to be elected as the next President of The Arc of the United States during the annual business meeting. Kennedy is a parent of a woman with a developmental disability, and has been active in The Arc at the federal, state, and local levels for more than three decades. In addition to her time as President of The Arc New York, she served as President of AHRC NYC, the New York City Chapter of The Arc of New York, and will now lead the Board of the national organization.

Amicus Brief Filed in U.S. Supreme Court Case Emphasizes Harms to People with Disabilities
The Arc of the United States joined five other leading disability advocacy organizations in filing a “friend-of-the-court” brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the estate of Gorgi Talevski, who alleges civil rights violations through abuse and neglect while in a nursing home.

The amicus brief explains why it is important that individuals, particularly those with disabilities, have the ability to sue state and local governments when their civil rights are violated under Medicaid and other public programs. The case, Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Indiana v. Talevski, is scheduled to be heard on November 8, 2022.

Kim Dodson, the Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of Indiana wrote an Op-Ed, which goes into further details on the case in question and why it is important for disability advocates to take note. The full press release from The Arc of the US can be found here.

Register for the Next Year of Willowbrook Event
The next Year of Willowbrook event, "Photography, Advocacy, and Consent: Revisiting the Willowbrook Exposés," will take place on October 13, 2022 at 3-4:30pm. Faculty members from the College of Staten Island/CUNY will discuss the work of photojournalist Eric Aerts (1935-2021) and his Willowbrook images. Register for this free online event here.