In This Issue:

• New Resource: Keep Track of Changes to LTSS
• We're Hiring Our Next Consulting Advocate
• It's Disability Voting Rights Week!
• Today's LTSS Webinar Rescheduled for Sept 24th
• Webinar: Understand What's Driving Your Child's Behavior
• Make Your Voice Heard at Next Week's Town Hall
• Join Virtual Writing Group for People with Disabilities
• Connect with Friends at Coffee House Tomorrow

New Resource: Keep Track of Changes to LTSS

In 2025, more than 20 changes to Colorado’s Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) system were proposed by the state’s Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to offset federal Medicaid cuts and state budget challenges. These changes have had a big impact on our community, affecting many of the supports that people with disabilities rely on to receive the care they need and engage with their community.

It’s crucial for people with disabilities to stay informed so they can prepare for changes to their services, make alternate plans if needed, and request exceptions to rules when it makes sense. To help, we’ve compiled an up-to-date list of every change that’s being implemented as part of this effort and more information about each, including:

• The timeline for each change
• Who is affected by each change
• How to request an exception for a small number of select changes

Click here to view the resource on our website.

We're Hiring Our Next Consulting Advocate!

Application Deadline is September 30th!

Are you interested in working side by side with advocates who believe as you do that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) should live self-directed lives and be valued for who they are as individuals?

This is a unique opportunity to engage with the IDD community by sharing about your own lived experience.

• Engage with peers through planned community events
• Assist with administrative tasks for our Consulting Advocacy events, including planning, outreach, scheduling, and communicating details by phone and email
• Support people with IDD in developing self-advocacy skills through People First and Speaking for Ourselves
• Discover new opportunities to share your own experiences

Join The Arc, where your person-centered values and skills can be shared with the community. Our collaborative team is focused on growing self-advocacy skills that can change the everyday challenges of life into success and opportunities.

It's Disability Voting Rights Week!

September 14th through 18th marks Disability Voting Rights Week! This week is all about rallying voters in the disability community to exercise their right to vote and working together to eliminate the barriers that many with disabilities face when voting.

You can get involved by visiting The Arc of the United States’s voting resources page—a great starting point for people with disabilities who would like to vote in the upcoming election. On the page, you’ll find:

• A tool to check your voter registration
• Resources to help you learn about voting
• And more!

Click here to view The Arc’s voting resources page.

Did you know? Colorado voters with a disability can now vote using the state’s electronic ballot system. In the 22 days before and on Election Day, which falls on November 3rd this year, voters can access their ballot electronically at myballot.coloradosos.gov, use the site to vote, and print and return their ballot and other necessary materials in person or by mail. Additionally, some voters can return their ballot electronically, instead of printing, if the voter meets certain disability criteria. Click here to learn more about electronic ballot access.

Today's LTSS Webinar Rescheduled for Sept 24th

An upcoming webinar from the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) covering changes to the LTSS system has been rescheduled. The webinar will now be held Thursday, September 24th from 10:00am-11:30am. The webinar was previously scheduled for today, September 16th.

This webinar will overview the ongoing changes, sometimes called sustainability actions, to the LTSS system, while also addressing common questions. No registration is required. Click here to join the webinar when it begins.

In addition, click here to submit feedback to HCPF about any questions you would like answered in the webinar. The feedback form will remain open through Friday, September 18th.

Stay up-to-date on upcoming webinars from HCPF by subscribing to the organization’s Office of Community Living newsletter and At a Glance newsletter. Click here to learn more or sign up.

Webinar: Understand What's Driving Your Child's Behavior

Are you a parent of a child with disabilities who’s looking to better understand and support your child? Join tomorrow’s webinar from Parent to Parent of Colorado, where you’ll learn a five-step strategy to help you better understand your child's behavior and respond effectively. The free webinar will be led by speaker Carole Bakhos, a parent coach and mother of a child with a disability.

When: September 17th, 11:30am-1:00pm

Where: Online via Zoom. Click here to register or learn more.

Make Your Voice Heard at Next Week's Town Hall

Speak out about the issues that matter to you at an upcoming town hall! Colorado Senator Judy Amabile, Representative Kyle Brown, and Representative Lesley Smith—who represents Clear Creek and Gilpin counties—will hold a town hall next week to answer questions and hear from their constituents. This is a great opportunity for people with disabilities and supporters to engage directly with legislators and make sure issues that are important to the disability community are on lawmakers' radar.

When: September 22nd, 5:00pm-6:30pm

Where: Boulder Chamber of Commerce – 2440 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302

Click here to register or learn more.

Not sure which legislators represent you? You can look up who your legislators are here.

Join Virtual Writing Group for People with Disabilities

Calling all writers in the disability community! Lighthouse Writers Workshop's community writing program, Body of Words, holds monthly virtual meetups for writers with disabilities and chronic illness to create art and connect with other writers. The meetup is open to writers of all genres and experience levels.

Meetups take place on the first Friday of each month. The group’s next virtual meeting will take place Friday, October 2nd from 10:00am-12:00pm via Zoom. The workshop is $5.00 for non-members and is free for Lighthouse members.

Click here to learn more or sign up.

Connect with Friends at Coffee House Tomorrow

• Where: Panera Bread - 650 S. Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80226 (Southeast corner of Wadsworth & Center Ave)
• When: Thursday, September 17th from 5:30pm-7:00pm

We hope you can join us! Click here to learn more about Coffee House.

For any questions, please reach out to us at info@arcjc.org.