The Arc of the United States was founded over 70 years ago by families who wanted their family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities included in every aspect of life in their homes and communities. Congress has finally proposed a bill, the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act (HAA), that would provide the resources to turn this foundational goal into a reality and ensure that home and community-based services (HCBS) are there to help ALL people with disabilities live with their friends and family in their communities.

The fuel for change is always the personal experience. In the first of a two-part blog series, sibling Marty Ford shares her perspective about the journey to this moment.

In the second installment of our two-part blog series, The Arc’s Senior Director of Public Policy Nicole Jorwic shares her brother’s story and what drives her passion.

Learn more about this critical issue and share your family’s story about why community inclusion matters to you.

The Arc's Center for Future Planning has a variety of free resources in Spanish on topics such as:

We also have a free archived webinar in Spanish that provides a general overview on future planning. Questions? Contact Liz Mahar.

Is your sibling still in school, or do you know someone who is? The Arc, in partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal, is providing scholarships for eligible families of color and low-income households who reside in Comcast regions to receive free online access to The Arc@School's Special Education Advocacy Curriculum (normally a $99 value). The scholarship application process is easy and only takes a few minutes to complete!

Project Sunshine's newest virtual program, TelePlay, offers free games and activities for youth and their families who are facing any medical challenges. Activities are grouped by ages 5-9, 10-14, and 15-18. They are made to protect a family’s privacy and bring a little joy to the day. If you have a sibling who is eligible for this virtual program, you can learn more and sign up here.

Home should be in the community with the services to thrive. After years of advocacy by The Arc and our advocates, Congress has released draft legislation to make access to home and community-based services (HCBS) a reality for all. No more waiting lists or being tied to one state; this pivotal piece of legislation will be transformative.

The Arc has been leading behind the scenes for years to make this bill a reality, and you have helped too! With every call to support HCBS funding and email to show why a life in the community is important, you have helped with the creation of this landmark legislation. All our efforts have led to this day, but we have a lot of work ahead of us to get this federal legislation finalized, passed, and ultimately signed into law. We have an opportunity to transform the system for generations to come. To get it right. To put community first.

Share your family’s story and why community inclusion matters to you. We need the power of your advocacy to propel us forward into a new era.

This year's Disability Policy Seminar will focus heavily on expanding access to community living (like the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act) and how the disability community is navigating a new reality amidst COVID-19. The event may be virtual, but we're still bringing content you can't get anywhere else and won't want to miss. Register today!

Know another sibling who would be interested in receiving this newsletter? Forward this email to them so they can sign up!