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A 24-Hour Vigil and a Roundtable With Vice President Harris: It's Our Moment for Change
Earlier this month, in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC, advocates from The Arc and partner organizations gathered for 24 hours straight to read out loud thousands of stories from people with disabilities and their families about the importance of disability services in their lives.

We are also making an impact at the highest levels of government. The Arc's Senior Director of Public Policy, Nicole Jorwic, and her brother Chris participated in a roundtable with Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth to talk about the importance of home and community-based services.

We do this work with the people it affects front and center, and and the new Build Back Better framework is our chance to build the service system we need. Advocate today for a historic investment in the services people with disabilities and those who care for them need!
New Videos on Special Needs Trusts and ABLE Accounts
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning has new videos on available resources to save money and protect public benefits. Each video covers why to consider using each resource, how they work, what they can pay for, and how to get started. These videos are also available in Spanish, and more videos will be released soon!
People of Color With IDD and Disparities in Health Care
In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared racism a serious threat to public health. For people of color with disabilities, the threat is dire, as they face multiple barriers to health care. Unique Royster is a young Black woman with a disability. She and her mother Irene Kelley faced disparities in accessing health care when Unique needed surgery, leaving them frustrated. Watch their story here.
Family Caregivers Need Your Support
The difficulty of balancing work and family responsibilities has always been a challenge for a parent or sibling of a person with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD), and the pandemic made it even worse. The Arc has been working for decades to help family caregivers by advocating for health insurance, paid family and medical leave, respite services, and other family supports. With your help, The Arc helps overwhelmed families navigate the complex developmental disabilities systems and empowers family caregivers to be champions for their loved ones with disabilities.
Legal Advocacy: From School to the Voting Booth
The Arc’s legal advocacy team has been busy the last couple of months protecting the rights of students and voters with disabilities in several areas. We have:
The Resources You Need for the Second Half of This School Year
Are you a family member, advocate, or educator looking to better understand the special education process? We’re here to help you ensure that students with disabilities are ready for the second half of the school year with the services and supports they need to succeed. Our online special education advocacy training will help you understand early intervention services, individualized education programs (IEPs), Section 504, and more. Get started today!
National Convention Sessions Now Available On Demand
The Arc’s 2021 National Convention was a huge success. With captivating speakers and valuable sessions, this year’s virtual event was a celebration of our progress over the last year and a commitment to continue our work in 2022. Did you miss it? You can now access and watch all sessions on demand, plus get session slides and handouts. Purchase an access pass.
The Arc Recognizes 2021 Catalyst Award Winners
The Arc’s Catalyst Awards recognize businesses, individuals, and other organizations that have made extraordinary contributions toward greater social inclusion and the advancement of the human and civil rights of people with IDD. This year’s winners are:

  • Sephora, recognized for their commitment to including people with disabilities in their hiring, storytelling, and employee engagement. Learn more here.
  • Neli Latson and his mother Lisa Alexander, recognized for their perseverance in the face of over a decade of unjust prosecution and abuse in the criminal legal system. Learn more about their efforts here.
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For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.