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In This Issue:

Empowered to Choose Life-Saving Care: Elizabeth's Story
How to Observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Bullying Prevention Month: Learn How You Can Stop Bullying
Search for Spooky Styles at arc Thrift!
Give Feedback on Possible Access-on-Demand Changes
Join Us For People First Today

A woman with short brown hair smiles wearing sunglasses on her head and a red shirt indoors.

Empowered to Choose Life-Saving Care: Elizabeth's Story

Elizabeth’s health had taken a turn. Because of serious medical complications, the Colorado woman, who was born with disabilities, had found herself lying in a hospital room, feeling alone, only able to breathe through the use of a ventilator.

Elizabeth looked up at the medical team treating her. She told them, “I don’t want to live anymore.”

Plans were soon made to take Elizabeth off of ventilator support, which would end her life.

However, Elizabeth realized she wasn’t sure what she truly wanted—and she felt unclear about what other options, if any, were available to her.

Read Elizabeth's Story

Four people with Down syndrome engaging in various work tasks smiling. They are in different professional settings.

How to Observe National

Disability Employment Awareness Month

Every year in October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) recognizes the many contributions of employees with disabilities. NDEAM started in 1945 as a weeklong observance, later becoming the month of awareness we observe today. This year, the theme for NDEAM is “Access to Good Jobs for All”—a reminder that everyone deserves the chance to work a job in which they can grow, and a job that they love!

Unfortunately, when it comes to the percentage of people employed, there remains a big gap between those with disabilitie s and those without. During NDEAM, we recognize the need to bridge this gap and promote the inclusion of all people in the workforce.

Anyone can participate in NDEAM. The Arc US has compiled a list of ways you can observe NDEAM, including:

Community Members: Learn more about disability inclusion in the workforce. On The Arc's website, you will find resources that show how companies that value disability inclusion outperform their competitors, as well as disability employment stories.
Business Owners: Review your company’s hiring practices. For tips on how to create an inclusive workplace, ch eck out this guide from The Arc.
Employees with Disabilities: Share your employment story!

Our chapter would love to share the story of your work experiences! Email us at communications@arcjc.org and we may feature your story in an upcoming eNewsletter.

We hope you’ll join us this month in raising awareness of all that employees with disabilities contribute to the workforce!

A girl covers her face while two blurred figures stand behind. Orange hand and text say Stop Bullying.

National Bullying Prevention Month: Learn How You Can Stop Bullying

Research shows that millions of children are bullied each year, which can bring both emotional and physical harm. Further, children with disabilities are at an increased risk of being bullied compared with their nondisabled peers.

Each October, National Bullying Prevention Month is observed to help us combat these critical issues. During this month, parents and students are encouraged to learn tactics to help them prevent, spot, and stop bullying.

StopBullying.gov, a federal government website, has provided a bullying prevention tipsheet for parents of children with disabilities. Tips for parents include:

Speak with your child frequently to ensure they are not being bullied or bullying others. Ask your child specific questions about their friendships. This can help parents ensure their child is not being bullied without realizing it.
Support your child if he or she has been bullied. Remind the child that the bullying they have experienced is not their fault.
If you learn your child is being bullied, speak with your child’s teacher immediately to resolve the issue. If the teacher does not resolve the issue or if the bullying is severe, contact your child’s principal and/or request an IEP meeting.
Be persistent. Follow up with your child and their teacher often to ensure the bullying has stopped.

If your child is being bullied and you need additional support, please contact the Bullying Recovery Resource Center.

Three smiling girls in colorful Halloween costumes holding a pumpkin bucket with bold text saying Trick or Treat and Boo

Search for Spooky Styles

at arc Thrift!

It’s that time of year—time to start stocking up on candy and planning the perfect Halloween costume! With more than 30 locations, arc Thrift Stores offer plenty of options to help you find a spooktacular look. Best of all, arc Thrift provides funding to each Colorado chapter of The Arc—which means every purchase from arc Thrift supports Coloradans with IDD!

Visit arc Thrift’s website to receive $5 off your $20 purchase. This coupon can only be used this Friday, October 4.

Click here to find an arc Thrift store location near you.

A wheelchair on a sidewalk with a megaphone hanging from the side and a green cloth tied nearby.

Give Feedback on Possible Access-on-Demand Changes

Since RTD introduced Access-on-Demand in 2020, the program has become extremely popular. As many know, Access-on-Demand is an RTD service that is similar to Access-a-Ride, but it allows riders to use certain rideshare or taxi services for their trip instead of the Access-a-Ride bus. The first $25 of each trip is subsidized by RTD.

However, Access-on-Demand has become expensive to run, costing RTD more than $1,000,000 per month. RTD is considering changes that could cut the program’s costs.

RTD recently asked the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to review the Access-on-Demand service. APTA has suggested several changes, which can be found in their peer review document. Right now, these are just examples of what changes to the program could possibly look like, not finalized plans. APTA highlighted solutions like:

Creating a base fare
Reducing the maximum number of monthly trips for riders
Reducing the service area

RTD is accepting feedback about possible changes to Access-on-Demand. Do you want to give your opinion on the potential cuts to Access-on-Demand? If yes, visit RTD’s Paratransit Peer Review webpage and scroll down to the “Questions, Comments, and Feedback” section. You can submit your comment there.