In This Issue:

• Reminder: Tonight Is Our Annual Membership Meeting
• You're Invited to The Arc's Annual Picnic
• Get Ready to Vote! Primary Elections Are June 30th
• Policy News and Updates
• Registrations Open for The Action Center's School Supply Drive
• Take Profound Autism Alliance's Special Education Survey
• What's Happening Next Month?

Reminder: Tonight Is Our Annual Membership Meeting

We hope to see you virtually tonight for our Annual Membership Meeting!

This brief and informative online gathering is your chance to learn in more detail what our chapter is doing to serve our community. During the meeting, we will also be asking members* of The Arc-JCCGC to vote on the following matters:

• Election of new Board members and Reelection of Current Board members beginning a new term.
• Approval of minutes from our 2025 Annual Membership meeting.

*Not sure if you’re a member? Anyone who donates to The Arc is considered a member for one year from the date of their last donation. Anyone who expresses interest in membership during or after the advocacy process is also considered a member. Learn more about membership status here.

You're Invited to The Arc's Annual Picnic

RSVPs are open now for our summer picnic! This free day of fun is one you won't want to miss. Bring the entire family to enjoy food, community, and activities like lawn games and facepainting. 

This year, we're celebrating all things Colorado! We invite you to wear gear that reps your favorite Colorado town, local spot, university, team, and more.

When: Wednesday, July 22, 4:00pm-7:00pm

Where: Clement Park - 7306 W. Bowles Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123 (Shelters O, P & Q)

We can’t wait to see you there!

Please RSVP by July 17th.

Get Ready to Vote! Primary Elections Are June 30th

Colorado’s primary elections are coming up! On June 30th, voters will decide which candidates will be listed on the ballot in the general election races for US legislator seats, Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and more.

Voting is one way that you can make your voice heard. If you would like to vote in the upcoming primaries, here’s a brief checklist to get you started:

Make sure you are registered to vote! You can use the Secretary of State’s website here to check if you are registered, register online, and more.

Decide which method you will use to vote. There are multiple ways to cast your vote here in Colorado, including in-person at a polling place or by dropping off your ballot at a drop-box location. The deadline to vote is 7:00pm on June 30th. To search polling places and drop-box locations, click here.

Please note that the recommended final day to mail in your ballot has passed. You can still vote in-person or drop off your ballot at a drop box.

Did you know? If you have a disability, you may be eligible to vote using an accessible electronic ballot from your home or other location. Click here to learn more.

Know where you can find more information. You can find elections information on your County Clerk & Recorder’s website and the Secretary of State’s website. For information about primary elections in Colorado, click here.

Policy News and Updates

Interagency Agreements to Move Offices from Department of Education

You may have seen in the news that the Department of Education announced interagency agreements to move two offices, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), to other departments. Many disability advocates have been vocal about how these changes could weaken coordination between programs and extend wait times for families pursuing resolutions to disability discrimination in schools.

Read how Arc chapters and other disability organizations are speaking out. Click here to view the letter signed by a broad coalition of organizations, including our chapter, urging Congress to reject these transfers.

Take action! If you would like to make your voice heard, you can join disability organizations across the country in a day of action tomorrow by calling your legislators to oppose these changes. Learn more here.

Department of Justice Memo Threatens the Right to Live in the Community

Last week, the Department of Justice issued a memo asserting that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the ADA do not impose an integration mandate. The opinion targets Olmstead v. L.C., the Supreme Court decision that recognized institutional isolation of people with disabilities as discrimination under the ADA. For more than 25 years, Olmstead has helped people with disabilities fight for the supports they need to live at home and in their communities.


Click here to read more from The Arc of the United States.

Registrations Open for The Action Center's School Supply Drive

The Action Center's annual School Supply Distribution is returning later this summer. If your student is enrolled in a Jeffco Public School, you can sign up now to receive free school supplies at this yearly event.

When: August 5-6, 2026

Where: Everitt Middle School, 3900 Kipling Street, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Click here to sign up or learn more.

Does your child attend a school located outside of Jeffco? Please call 2-1-1 for information about other available resources.

Take Profound Autism Alliance's Special Education Survey

The Profound Autism Alliance is seeking input to better understand the challenges that people with profound autism face in the education system.

If you are a caregiver of a person with profound autism—meaning the person has autism and requires 24/7, lifetime care—Profound Autism Alliance would like to hear from you. You are invited to take their 3-minute survey to share more about challenges that the person you care for has faced, including safety concerns, abbreviated school days, and more.

Profound Autism Alliance will use the responses it receives to help shape its advocacy work.

Click here to take the survey.

What's Happening Next Month?