Friends of The Arc Update: What’s Happening This Fall at The Arc SF

A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

As we head into the final days of Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, there is a lot happening at The Arc San Francisco. Next Friday, our full staff will come together for our first In-Service Day, and the WorkLife Awards are less than a month away.

Our Direct Support Professionals are at the heart of so much of what happens at The Arc SF. Every day, they bring creativity, judgment, care, and a deep respect for self-determination to their work alongside the people we support.

Across all of it, one thing stays constant: people with developmental disabilities should have a real say in their work, their communities, the decisions that affect them, and the support they receive.

In this issue of Friends of The Arc, you’ll meet some of the people putting that into practice and find a few ways to get involved this fall.

Thank you for being part of The Arc SF community.

Kristen Pedersen

Executive Director

The Arc San Francisco

An animated image of a DSP hugging a client.

DSP RECOGNITION WEEK

Direct Support Is Skilled Work

As DSP Recognition Week comes to a close, we’re recognizing the Direct Support Professionals who work alongside participants across The Arc San Francisco.

DSPs build relationships, solve problems, navigate systems, and support communication and self-advocacy. They create access and adapt in real time to what each person wants and needs.

Direct support takes knowledge, judgment, flexibility, trust, and a deep respect for self-determination. It is skilled, essential work.

To every DSP across The Arc SF: thank you for the care, creativity, and dedication you bring to our community every day.

EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIPS

Nine Months of Learning on the Job

Earlier this summer, Angela was one of six interns who completed a nine-month internship at the California Academy of Sciences.

Through the partnership, Cal Academy provides real workplace experience across the museum, while The Arc SF job coaches support interns as they learn new responsibilities, navigate workplace expectations, and prepare for future employment.

When Angela started, she was nervous.

“I wasn’t that confident about myself,” she remembers.

During the internship, she welcomed visitors, worked in ticketing and at the rainforest exhibit, and took on new responsibilities.

By graduation, Angela could see how much had changed.

“I’m more confident about myself. I’m more brave. I face my fears.”

She also learned how important it is to feel heard at work.

“When someone listens to me, I feel respected. I feel included. That’s very important.”

Angela graduated in June alongside Jacky, Casimir, Jerry, and two fellow interns named Jason (pictured below). All six are now taking their next steps toward employment with support from The Arc SF’s Job Development team.

Nine months of learning on the job was only the beginning.

Group photo of recent Cal Academy interns in matching dark staff shirts with name badges, standing together on a covered outdoor walkway with trees and buildings in the background.

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

Gaby stood beside Nancy Pelosi, who was holding a crocheted flower that Gaby had made for her.

Today marks the final day of Disability Voting Rights Week, a national, nonpartisan week focused on voting access and participation for people with disabilities.

Earlier this year, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s team reached out to The Arc San Francisco to bring the perspective of people with developmental disabilities into a congressional field hearing on voting rights.

Gaby joined Pelosi, Rep. Joe Morelle, voting experts, and community advocates for the April 9 conversation in San Francisco. Gaby was one of the invited panelists representing The Arc SF.

Gaby shared how vote-by-mail gives her more time to understand what is on the ballot, including propositions and other measures before casting her vote. She also challenged leaders to think beyond physical access, suggesting that election information and ballot materials be available in plain language so more people can understand the choices they are being asked to make.

People learned from Gaby because she brought her own experience directly into the conversation. Her advocacy is a reminder that accessible voting is not only about being able to cast a ballot. It is also about having information you can understand so you can make your own choices.

Are you registered to vote?

California voters can check their registration through the Secretary of State’s My Voter Status tool and update their information online.

Plan Ahead: All-Staff In-Service Day

The Arc San Francisco will hold our first annual all-staff In-Service Day later this month.

For one day, staff from across The Arc SF will come together for learning, conversation, and activities focused on how we work together and support our mission.

The Arc SF’s programs will be closed on Friday, September 25.

Please plan ahead for the closure and any changes you may need to make to your usual schedule. If you have questions about your program or services that day, please reach out to your program team.

We appreciate your understanding as our staff takes this time to learn together and strengthen our work across The Arc SF.

SAVE THE DATE!

Please join us for the 24th Annual WorkLife Awards

Thursday, October 15, 2026

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Arc San Francisco

1500 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

Join us as we celebrate employees with developmental disabilities reaching important career milestones, along with the employers, job coaches, and community partners helping create more inclusive workplaces.

This year’s theme, The Next 75: Designing Futures, Building Careers, celebrates 75 years of employment impact while looking ahead to what’s possible when people have opportunities to build skills, gain experience, grow in their careers, and be recognized for the contributions they make in the workplace.

RSVP HERE!

NATIONAL DISABILITY CAREGIVERS CONFERENCE

A free national conference for caregivers, families, professionals, and advocates is coming up this October.

The second annual National Disability Caregivers Conference will take place virtually on October 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT, bringing people together from across the country for two days of learning, connection, and practical support.

Participants can expect a growing lineup of speakers and sessions focused on the experiences, questions, and challenges facing disability caregivers and the people they support.

ASL and Spanish interpretation will be available, making the conference more accessible to families and communities across the country.

Registration is free. Save your spot and share this opportunity with someone in your community.

JOIN US!

What would you like to see more of in Friends of The Arc?

Participant stories

Staff and DSP spotlights

Advocacy updates

Employment and internship stories

Events and community resources

The Arc San Francisco is a person-centered organization that partners with, supports, and amplifies the voices of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.