In This Issue:
- The State of The Arc Annual Meeting: Sign-Up Today
- Rainbow Support Groups for LGBTQ+ Adults with IDD
- Colorado Able Accounts Enhanced with New Benefits
- Autistic Pride Day 2022: This Saturday!
- Take Urgent Action Now: Help Stop the Abusive Use of Shock Devices
- Webinar: Person-Centered Decision-Making & Alternatives to Guardianship – June 21
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Join Stars from Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum – Free Virtual Event Tomorrow
- Don’t Miss Coffee House: Tomorrow!
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Register Today:
The State of The Arc
Annual Membership Meeting
The Arc-JCCGC hosts an annual meeting to inform our members and community of the state of our chapter. We welcome all who would like to attend.
During this short but important gathering the President of the Board will deliver the State of The Arc address, which will help you understand what The Arc is doing and why. We hope that you will join us!
Our State of The Arc Annual Membership Meeting will be held virtually through Zoom and by conference call on Wednesday, June 22, 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Click here to register for the online meeting. After you register, you will receive an email with details about how to join the meeting online or by phone.
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Rainbow Support Group for
LGBTQ+ Adults with IDD
Rainbow Support Groups are for self-advocates who are members of both the intellectual and developmental disability community as well as the LGBTQ+ community.
Elevatus Training provides resources to support our LGBTQ+ community with IDD and they shared information about a Virtual Rainbow Group based in Massachusetts that welcomes attendees from every state:
This group meets on Zoom.
When: Second Wednesday of each month at 3:30-5:30 p.m. (MT) to socialize and meet friends
Last Tuesday of each month at 3:30-5:00 p.m. (MT) to learn and talk about LGBTQ+ topics.
For more information, resources, and for the virtual Rainbow group meeting link, click here.
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Colorado ABLE Accounts Enhanced with New Benefits and Protections for Coloradoans with Disabilities
Colorado ABLE recently announced that the Achieving A Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Accounts bill was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis, creating a more inclusive and equitable path to financial security for Coloradoans who experience disabilities.
The new law implements significant improvements in three key areas impacting access and ease of use, security of savings, and additional tax benefits for Coloradoans to create sustainable financial independence through long-term savings.
The Colorado ABLE plan offers a wide range of investment options from aggressive plans seeking higher returns to conservative investments that place capital preservation overgrowth, all managed by Ascensus. A partnership with Fifth Third Bank also offers an integrated checking and debit account option providing the convenience of paying for qualified expenses with a debit card.
To read more details about the new law, click here.
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Autistic Pride Day is This Saturday!
Autistic Pride Day is held on June 18 every year. However, it can be celebrated anytime because it recognizes the significance of pride for autistic people and the importance in promoting positive change for all individuals.
Aspies For Freedom commemorated the first Autistic Pride Day in 2005. They modelled the celebration on the gay pride movement, according to information from Autistic Empire. The group aims to raise public awareness of the autism rights movement. They want to educate the public that the autism spectrum is not always a disability, and that there are advantages as well as disadvantages.
The rainbow infinity symbol is used as the symbol for Autistic Pride, representing diversity with infinite variations and infinite possibilities.
The Arc-JCCGC is proud to work with such a dedicated and vibrant community. We will continue to advocate until every individual is accepted and included.
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Take Urgent Action Now:
Tell Your Senator to Stop the Shock!
We need your help! Your Senator is on a key committee that is debating legislation NOW that could stop the abuse and torture of people with disabilities through shock devices.
For decades, The Arc has advocated to prevent people with disabilities from being tortured by shock devices at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC), an institution in Massachusetts for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Despite a well-established body of evidence proving that there are alternative methods for behavioral supports for people with disabilities and other needs that do not include excessive force, pain, and fear, staff members at the JRC use remote controls to administer shocks for perceived misbehavior.
JRC is the only place in the country that still uses this barbaric and inhumane practice, despite substantial evidence that the shocks are painful and traumatizing to residents. Alternative positive behavioral supports exist and are proven to be more effective.
People with disabilities deserve to live free from torture and fear. The Arc and partner organizations across the country have been fighting for years to stop this practice. Help end this abuse by taking action now!
Legislation to ban this abuse is beginning to move through Congress.
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Webinar: Person-Centered Decision Making & Alternatives to Guardianship
Too often people with disabilities and older adults are appointed guardians. When people have guardians, their ability to make choices may be significantly constrained in the name of keeping them safe.
Person-centered practice is grounded in the idea that older adults and people with disabilities are the decision makers in their own lives. Supporting people to make choices is a priority for person-centered systems.
This Pathways to Person-Centered Decision-Making and Alternatives to Guardianship webinar will explore how systems are expanding alternatives to guardianship, such as supported decision-making where people choose supporters to help them make important decisions in their lives. The webinar is presented by The National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS).
National experts, state representatives, advocates, and people with lived experience of disability from Colorado, Georgia, and Wisconsin, will outline strategies for systems and a new NCAPPS resource to expand supported decision making so that more people can benefit from these alternatives to guardianship.
This webinar is scheduled on Tuesday, June 21 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. MT
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Love on the Spectrum
Stars Live Virtual Event
Tomorrow join the stars from Netflix's Love on the Spectrum U.S., a docuseries about dating.
Dani Bowman, Jennifer Cook, and Kaelynn Partlow, will discuss creating connections to each other and the world.
Community Connections: Love on the Spectrum, is being hosted on Facebook Live by The Autism Society.
Click here at 1 p.m. MT on Thursday, June 16 to attend this free, virtual event.
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Don’t Miss Coffee House on Thursday!
Join us at our monthly social gathering. Everyone is welcome at Coffee House.
Come and make new friends, mingle with people of all abilities, and promote inclusion in our community.
Thursday, June 16: 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Panera Bread
650 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood
Hope to see you there!
For more information on this and other upcoming events, click here to check out our calendar.
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