Sign Up for Teen LifeAbility!

Making friends…Building confidence…Knowing and embracing who you are.

Our Teen LifeAbility pilot program that begins later this month addresses these critical issues in order to support teens with intellectual & developmental disabilities as they move toward adulthood. This 2-part program is free of charge and includes simultaneous sessions for parents to help them as they try to prepare their teens for the future.
 
Who is it for?
Teens with intellectual & developmental disabilities between the ages of 14 – 18 and their parent(s)/guardian(s) are invited.

What’s going on for parents?
There will be a parent session at the same time as each Teen LifeAbility session, but in a separate room, to help provide moms/dads/guardians with:

  • Community & Support — a place where others understand their lives and perspectives
  • A Forum — ask questions and hear from parents of teens who’ve been there
  • Vision — a place to think about tomorrow and see opportunities

When is it and what is it about?
Two pilot sessions have been planned for this summer. If the pilot is successful, there will be future, ongoing sessions, but for now, Teen LifeAbility takes place on:

  • Thursday, June 20 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM
  • Teen Topic: Friendship
  •   Parent Topic: Reliable Info & Advice
  • Thursday, July 25 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM
  • Teen & Parent Topics: to be chosen by attendees at June 20 session!

How do I sign myself and my teen up?
Please RSVP to [email protected] or 303-232-1338. You may direct questions there as well. Again, registration is free to all teens and parents.
A Fashion Event for Everyone

You’re invited to Rockin’ the Runway Together—an exciting community event bringing people of ALL abilities together to celebrate the joy of fashion side by side. This show is being brought to life through a collaboration of our chapter of The Arc, DDRC, and Colorado Miss Amazing, and we aim to make it unforgettable!

When: Saturday, June 8th 5-7 PM
Where: Belmar Plaza in Lakewood at 464 S. Teller St.

Our goal is always to foster inclusion of people with intellectual & developmental disabilities in the community, and what better way to accomplish this goal than with fashion, food, and fun! Models of all abilities will be strutting the runway, and many of them will be wearing fashion from arc Thrift Stores, where you never know what treasures you might find. Community partners like Paul Mitchell-The School, Colorado Media School, and Belmar are helping us make this truly inclusive event one of a kind. 

Everyone is welcome, so come and join us as we highlight abilities and strengthen community connections. There will be music and giveaways, and even the mayor of Lakewood is coming to kick-off the event. See you on June 8th and dress to impress!
Urgent Action Alert about Competitive Integrated Employment
 
ACTION ALERT: Comment Today to Support Equal Pay for People with Disabilities!
 
This week the Department of Labor announced its new website, “ the Section 14(c) National Online Dialogue .” The purpose of the website is to collect comments from the public about the impact of paying subminimum wages to people with disabilities under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employers with 14(c) certificates can legally pay people with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, often times pennies on the dollar. Section 14(c) certificates are typically used in “sheltered workshops,” where people with disabilities are segregated from the broader community. Disability advocates view Section 14(c), which was created in 1938, as outdated, discriminatory, and reinforcing a life of poverty, segregation, and dependency on public support for people with disabilities.  It is critical that you make your voice heard!   
 
Input from people with disabilities, families, employment providers and employers is important. Share your perspective online here before Friday, June 14th.  
 
Ideas to include in your comments are:
 
  • If you are a person with a disability or a family member, talk about why a community job at fair pay is important to you/your family. Think about relationships with co-workers, how you/your family member have grown in your job, and opportunities to go into the broader community. If you/your family member have ever been paid subminimum wages, talk about how that made you feel and about your transition from sheltered work to CIE.
  • If you are an employment provider, talk about how you support people with disabilities in competitive integrated employment. If you are a provider who has transitioned away from using 14(c) certificates, talk about that experience.
  • If you are an employer, talk about your experience with employees with disabilities. Think about their contributions to your workplace and how you have been able to ensure their success.
  • If you are an advocate familiar with disability employment trends in your state, share information about that progress. Think about what policies have advanced CIE and how your state may be moving away from using sheltered workshops.
 
Disability advocates have made significant progress towards eliminating Section 14(c) and establishing the legal right of people with disabilities to be paid the same as everyone else. In 2014, Congress passed the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) , which made competitive integrated employment (CIE) a priority, limited the use of subminimum wages for youth with disabilities, and required people currently being paid subminimum wages to be given other employment options. In 2016, the Federal Advisory Committee for Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities recommended to Congress and the Labor Secretary that Section 14(c) be phased-out, together with capacity building for competitive integrated employment. In 2019, Congress introduced bipartisan legislation, the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act , to phase-out 14(c) and help providers transform their models to CIE. Numerous states have already prohibited the use of subminimum wages , and other states are currently considering legislation.  It is very important that we urge the Department of Labor to continue the progress towards ending this outdated and discriminatory practice.
 
Remember, you only have until June 14th to make your voice heard here !
Updates from The Arc US's Capitol Insider

Major Recent Events

Education: Senators Introduce Bill to Improve Access to Accommodations in College

On May 22, Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower (RISE) Act ( S.1585). This bill would require institutions of higher education to accept a student's individualized education plan (IEP), 504 plan or prior evaluation as sufficient proof of disability. Additionally, it requires institutions to provide transparent information regarding the process of determining eligibility for disability services and to disseminate the information in an accessible format. It also requires institutions to report information on the number of students with disabilities served, their outcomes and the accommodations provided. The Arc supports this legislation.

Announcements

Housing: Advocates Host National Housing Week of Action

From May 30 - June 5, housing advocates across the country are hosting a National Housing Week of Action to promote affordable housing and educate policymakers. Advocates are encouraged to join the National Tweetstorm on Thursday, June 4 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM EDT to highlight need for more decent, safe, affordable and accessible housing.
Survey Opportunity: Tell Us Where You Live and Why

The Arc is working with The Council on Quality and Leadership to do housing research about how people with disabilities decide on where they will live in the future.
 
Help The Arc with this research by completing an online survey. You'll be asked questions about where you live and why you decided to live there. It will also ask you to share your thoughts about where you want to live in the future.

You will be compensated with a $15 gift card for participating.
 
NOTE: This survey is open ONLY to people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
 
This survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Click here to start!

If you have any questions contact Carli Friedman at [email protected] or (407) 733-6676. 
Support The Arc While Shopping at Amazon
 
Father's Day is on Sunday, June 16 ! Now's the time to start thinking about what you want to get for all the dads in your life.
 
Did you know that using AmazonSmile is a great way to support The Arc? Simply click here to shop for all your Father's Day gifts and Amazon will donate to The Arc - Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties! Win-win!
 
Each eligible purchase you make will result in a donation to The Arc. Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.
 
For more information please see the complete AmazonSmile program details .  
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Want to be even more connected? Check out our website here!