News Archive
“We need the Senate to understand all that is on the line” Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Biden’s Build Back Better plan, bringing us one important step closer to making significant investments in our country, in the lives of people with disabilities and their families, and the direct support workforce. The reality […]
The post House of Representatives Passes Historic Disability Funding Through the Build Back Better Plan appeared first on The Arc.
Yesterday, CVS Health announced the withdrawal of its appeal before the Supreme Court that sought to limit the scope of civil rights protections for people with disabilities under federal law. In collaboration with leaders of a number of national disability organizations, CVS Health will seek policy solutions to protect equitable access to health care for […]
The post The Arc Celebrates CVS Health Commitment with Disability Leaders to Affordable and Equitable Access to Health Care appeared first on The Arc.
For moms like Molly, the past four months have meant long-overdue help in making ends meet. Molly works full time and manages the care for her 15-year-old son, Reid, who has a condition called Angelman’s Syndrome. Reid requires specialized caregiving for feeding, diaper changes, and constant monitoring for safety due to seizures and mobility issues. […]
The post The Child Tax Credit Helps Working Moms Like Molly Stay Afloat – And in the Workforce appeared first on The Arc.
Too often, disability is criminalized due to a lack of understanding—by both the public and first responders. Disability-related behaviors can be perceived as threatening or suspicious, and it’s estimated that one third to half of all people in the U.S. killed by police have a disability. The Arc is working hard to protect the rights […]
The post Disability Is Not a Crime. Support Our Fight for Justice. appeared first on The Arc.
Disability rights organizations filed friend-of-the-court briefs today urging the Supreme Court to uphold disability rights by rejecting CVS’s attempt to dismantle non-discrimination protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The case, CVS v. Doe, involves a CVS-managed prescription drug plan that requires people who need “specialty medications” to receive them by mail, instead of at […]
The post Disability Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court to Uphold Protections Against Disability Discrimination appeared first on The Arc.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued a new value for the level of lead in children’s blood considered to be elevated, tightening the standard from 5 micrograms/deciliter to 3.5 micrograms/deciliter. The CDC announcement coincided with the Biden Administration’s release of a government-wide plan for preventing lead exposure in children, focused on […]
The post Project TENDR Researchers Applaud CDC Action to Protect More Children from Neurotoxic Exposures and Anticipate Sweeping National Change appeared first on The Arc.
Today, President Biden announced the Build Back Better budget framework that would make significant investments in our nation, people with disabilities, their families, and the direct support workforce. This new deal includes $150 billion for Medicaid home and community-based services, or HCBS, which provide the support people with disabilities need to be a part of […]
The post New Budget Framework Provides Historic Investment in the Disability Services System appeared first on The Arc.
WASHINGTON, DC — Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Robert Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) joined parents, caregivers, care workers, […]
The post Members of Congress Join Parents & Caregiving Advocates to Demand Urgent Care Infrastructure Investments in Build Back Better Budget Reconciliation appeared first on The Arc.
This past September marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. To honor all who were lost, The Arc joined forces with local chapters of The Arc and other community organizations to develop inclusive volunteer projects centered around the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance (9/11 Day). These projects aimed to strengthen […]
The post September 11 Day of Service Grantees Give Back and Help Prepare Their Communities appeared first on The Arc.
In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control declared racism a serious threat to public health. For people of color with disabilities, the threat is dire – they face multiple barriers to health care. Unique Royster is a young Black woman with a disability. She and her mother Irene Kelley faced disparities in accessing health care […]
The post People of Color with IDD and Disparities in Health Care appeared first on The Arc.
A federal district court today granted a preliminary injunction in our mask mandate lawsuit, blocking enforcement of Iowa’s law prohibiting schools from requiring facemasks. Previously, the court had issued and then extended a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which also blocked enforcement of this harmful law. A preliminary injunction will stay in place as the lawsuit […]
The post Mask Mandate Preliminary Injunction Continues to Protect Iowa Children appeared first on The Arc.
Activists From Across the Nation Deliver 7,500 Stories from Individuals Impacted by Dearth of Home and Community-Based Services Photos of the Vigil and Rally: https://bit.ly/3ahKPN9 Senator Bob Casey met disability rights activists and care workers who participated in a 24-hour storytelling vigil and reiterated his commitment to fully fund services critical for the health and […]
The post Senator Bob Casey Meets Disability Rights Advocates From 24-Hour Storytelling Vigil, Urges Congress to Pass the Build Back Better Plan appeared first on The Arc.
As negotiations around the biggest jobs plan since the New Deal stall, care advocates from across the country will hold a 24-hour vigil outside the U.S. Capitol to urge elected leaders to hold the line on caregiving funding in the Build Back Better plan. People with disabilities, direct care workers, older adults, and caregivers will […]
The post Disability Rights, Care Workers To Hold 24-Hour Vigil at the U.S. Capitol To Hold the Line on Care Funding appeared first on The Arc.
WASHINGTON, DC – The Arc is excited to announce Sephora as a recipient of its 2021 Catalyst Award. The award recognizes businesses, individuals, and other organizations that have made extraordinary contributions toward greater social inclusion and the advancement of the human and civil rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). “It is refreshing […]
The post The Arc Recognizes Corporate Disability Champion Sephora with The Catalyst Award appeared first on The Arc.
WASHINGTON – The Arc is honored to announce Neli Latson and his mother, Lisa Alexander as recipients of our 2021 Catalyst Award. The award recognizes individuals, businesses, and other organizations that have made extraordinary contributions toward greater social inclusion and the advancement of the human and civil rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities […]
The post The Arc Recognizes Neli Latson and Lisa Alexander with The Catalyst Award appeared first on The Arc.
DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal district court today blocked Iowa’s law prohibiting schools from requiring masks. The court ruled that the law violates the civil rights of children with disabilities, including children with underlying conditions, who are more vulnerable to severe illness or death as a result of COVID-19. The decision makes clear that […]
The post Federal Court Blocks Iowa’s Law Banning Masking Requirements in Schools appeared first on The Arc.
Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. (LDF), Reed Smith LLP, and The Arc filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Houston Area Urban League, Houston Justice, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and The Arc of Texas challenging S.B. 1, a new Texas law targeting voting rights. S.B. 1 includes a series […]
The post Lawsuit Filed Challenging New Texas Law Targeting Voting Rights appeared first on The Arc.
Eleven parents of children with disabilities and Iowa disability rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit today challenging an Iowa law that bans school districts from imposing mask mandates in schools. The parents and disability rights advocates are taking the action to protect children who are too young to be vaccinated whose disabilities, including underlying […]
The post Lawsuit Challenges Iowa Law Banning Schools from Requiring Masks appeared first on The Arc.
For Kerri, Ken, and their family, Father’s Day weekend 2019 started out as planned—peaceful and filled with quality family time. But early Saturday morning, Kerri and Ken awoke to their 17-year-old son, Yosh, screaming in pain. His stomach had swollen so badly overnight that it looked like a beach ball. They were terrified for their […]
The post Surviving on a GoFundMe Campaign: How A Hospital Stay Without Paid Leave Forced One Family into a Crisis No One Should Face appeared first on The Arc.
For Kerri, Ken, and their family, Father’s Day weekend 2019 started out as planned—peaceful and filled with quality family time. But early Saturday morning, Kerri and Ken awoke to their 17-year-old son, Yosh, screaming in pain. His stomach had swollen so badly overnight that it looked like a beach ball. They were terrified for their […]
The post Surviving on a GoFundMe Campaign: How A Hospital Stay Without Paid Leave Forced One Family into a Crisis No One Should Face appeared first on The Arc.
Federal Judge Irene Berger has ruled that a lawsuit on behalf of Kanawha County students with disabilities can proceed as a class action lawsuit. The decision to certify the class will affect hundreds of Kanawha County’s students with disabilities who are removed from their classrooms for behavior related to their disabilities. The case was filed […]
The post Judge Rules Kanawha County Special Education Lawsuit Can Proceed as Class Action appeared first on The Arc.
My name is Nicole LeBlanc. I live in Silver Spring, Maryland. I am on the autism spectrum and have anxiety, ADD, seizures, and a learning disability. I am writing to talk about the importance of helping people with disabilities get their student loans discharged, including ending the 3 year monitoring period. As the Biden Administration […]
The post The Impact of Student Loan Debt Forgiveness for the Disability Community appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – The Arc is pleased that the U.S. Department of Education announced a major step in removing barriers in the path of people with disabilities who pursue an education and career goals. The Arc advocated relentlessly for these changes in response to the outcry from people with disabilities across the country. The Department’s […]
The post New U.S. Department of Education Regulation Provides Relief to People with Disabilities appeared first on The Arc.
By: Nicole Jorwic, Senior Director of Public Policy After a slight delay, both Senators and Representatives are back in their states and districts for August recess, but in fact, it goes until mid-September. That means it is a key time to engage, reach out, and share your stories about why Medicaid home and community-based services […]
The post During Congressional Recess, We Must Raise Our Voices for Care! appeared first on The Arc.
By: Nicole Jorwic, Senior Director of Public Policy After a slight delay, both Senators and Representatives are back in their states and districts for August recess, but in fact, it goes until mid-September. That means it is a key time to engage, reach out, and share your stories about why Medicaid home and community-based services […]
The post During Congressional Recess, We Must Raise Our Voices for Care! appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – The Arc is encouraged that the U.S. Senate took an important step in favor of respecting the human dignity of people with disabilities and aging adults. Wednesday, the Senate passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution triggering the start of the reconciliation process. The vote paves the way for Congress to pass a […]
The post The Arc Celebrates Senate Passage of the $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution to Invest in Crumbling Care Infrastructure appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – The Arc is encouraged that the U.S. Senate took an important step in favor of respecting the human dignity of people with disabilities and aging adults. Wednesday, the Senate passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution triggering the start of the reconciliation process. The vote paves the way for Congress to pass a […]
The post The Arc Celebrates Senate Passage of the $3.5 Trillion Budget Resolution to Invest in Crumbling Care Infrastructure appeared first on The Arc.
My parents celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last year. Fifty years is a long time, and so much has changed—the internet, cell phones, self-driving cars, and we’ve seen so many disability rights victories. Next year, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will also turn 50. But this milestone for SSI is almost disappointing because in […]
The post Stuck In Time: SSI Desperately Needs Updating appeared first on The Arc.
My parents celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last year. Fifty years is a long time, and so much has changed—the internet, cell phones, self-driving cars, and we’ve seen so many disability rights victories. Next year, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will also turn 50. But this milestone for SSI is almost disappointing because in […]
The post Stuck In Time: SSI Desperately Needs Updating appeared first on The Arc.
Today, we mark 31 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA. The Arc is proud of our long history advocating with and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and working to ensure that their most fundamental rights and the protections guaranteed by the ADA are recognized and fulfilled. […]
The post The ADA Turns 31 appeared first on The Arc.
Today, we mark 31 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA. The Arc is proud of our long history advocating with and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and working to ensure that their most fundamental rights and the protections guaranteed by the ADA are recognized and fulfilled. […]
The post The ADA Turns 31 appeared first on The Arc.
As The Arc of Oklahoma watched COVID-19 infections rise in their state in the second half of 2020, they hoped restrictions would decrease in time for their MLK Day of Service event in January 2021. But as the year progressed and COVID cases continued their upward trend, the organization began laying the groundwork to transition […]
The post Individual Food Drives Help Feed Hungry Tulsans appeared first on The Arc.
As The Arc of Oklahoma watched COVID-19 infections rise in their state in the second half of 2020, they hoped restrictions would decrease in time for their MLK Day of Service event in January 2021. But as the year progressed and COVID cases continued their upward trend, the organization began laying the groundwork to transition […]
The post Individual Food Drives Help Feed Hungry Tulsans appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – The Arc, with a coalition of 25 civil and disability rights organizations, joined an amicus brief filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California in support of Britney Spears’ right to select her own attorney for her conservatorship proceedings. The brief also urges the […]
The post The Arc and Coalition of Disability and Civil Rights Organizations Urge Court to Allow Britney Spears to Select Her Own Attorney in Conservatorship Case appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – The Arc, with a coalition of 25 civil and disability rights organizations, joined an amicus brief filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California in support of Britney Spears’ right to select her own attorney for her conservatorship proceedings. The brief also urges the […]
The post The Arc and Coalition of Disability and Civil Rights Organizations Urge Court to Allow Britney Spears to Select Her Own Attorney in Conservatorship Case appeared first on The Arc.
In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the use of electric shock devices that has inflicted painful abuse on residents of the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts for decades. JRC is an institution for children and adults with […]
The post The Arc Denounces Ruling on Use of Shock on Residents with Disabilities at Judge Rotenberg Educational Center appeared first on The Arc.
In a stunning reversal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the use of electric shock devices that has inflicted painful abuse on residents of the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts for decades. JRC is an institution for children and adults with […]
The post The Arc Denounces Ruling on Use of Shock on Residents With Disabilities at Judge Rotenberg Educational Center appeared first on The Arc.
By Micki, Grassroots Advocate My husband and I consider ourselves to be informed parents. When our twin sons Zach and KC were diagnosed with intellectual disability in infancy, we tried to learn all we could to be a good mom and dad. We attended educational programs, joined local organizations that focused on families like […]
The post The Social Security Law That Keep Parents Awake At Night appeared first on The Arc.
By Micki, Grassroots Advocate My husband and I consider ourselves to be informed parents. When our twin sons Zach and KC were diagnosed with intellectual disability in infancy, we tried to learn all we could to be a good mom and dad. We attended educational programs, joined local organizations that focused on families like ours, […]
The post The Social Security Law That Keeps Parents Awake at Night appeared first on The Arc.
The system that provides supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families has fallen far short of their needs for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and worsened this reality. The Better Care Better Jobs Act (BCBJA) introduced today will make a huge investment necessary to change disability services […]
The post Better Care Better Jobs Act Will Make Huge Investment in Disability Services appeared first on The Arc.
The system that provides supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families has fallen far short of their needs for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and worsened this reality. The Better Care Better Jobs Act (BCBJA) introduced today will make a huge investment necessary to change disability services […]
The post Better Care Better Jobs Act Will Make Huge Investment in Disability Services appeared first on The Arc.
By: Nicole Jorwic, Senior Director of Public Policy and Bethany Lilly, Senior Director of Income Policy While legislators in Washington, DC debate what IS and IS NOT infrastructure, people with disabilities and their families are grappling with day to day life, and a system that did not have the infrastructure and staff to support them […]
The post #CareCantWait: COVID-19 Recovery Must Include People With Disabilities, Families, and the Care Workforce appeared first on The Arc.
By: Nicole Jorwic, Senior Director of Public Policy and Bethany Lilly, Senior Director of Income Policy While legislators in Washington, DC debate what IS and IS NOT infrastructure, people with disabilities and their families are grappling with day to day life, and a system that did not have the infrastructure and staff to support them […]
The post #CareCantWait: COVID-19 Recovery Must Include People With Disabilities, Families, and the Care Workforce appeared first on The Arc.
After more than a decade of unjust prosecution and abuse in the criminal justice system, Neli Latson, a Black man with multiple disabilities, is finally a free man. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam granted Mr. Latson, 29, a full pardon late Monday. Mr. Latson, who has autism and intellectual disability, now has the chance to live […]
The post Advocates Applaud Full Pardon of Neli Latson, a Young Black Man with Disabilities, After Decade of Injustice appeared first on The Arc.
After more than a decade of unjust prosecution and abuse in the criminal justice system, Neli Latson, a Black man with multiple disabilities, is finally a free man. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam granted Mr. Latson, 29, a full pardon late Monday. Mr. Latson, who has autism and intellectual disability, now has the chance to live […]
The post Advocates Applaud Full Pardon of Neli Latson, a Young Black Man With Disabilities, After Decade of Injustice appeared first on The Arc.
Jose Velasco is thankful for the incredible journey of fatherhood. The father of two did not foresee the life he and his wife, Deya, and their son and daughter created, together. This Father’s Day, Jose reflects on nearly three decades of being a dad and how disability has rewarded his life in ways he had […]
The post A Father’s Love: The Rewards of Disability appeared first on The Arc.
Jose Velasco is thankful for the incredible journey of fatherhood. The father of two did not foresee the life he and his wife, Deya, and their son and daughter created, together. This Father’s Day, Jose reflects on nearly three decades of being a dad and how disability has rewarded his life in ways he had […]
The post A Father’s Love: The Rewards of Disability appeared first on The Arc.
“The Arc is relieved that the U.S. Supreme Court has once again upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and today dismissed the latest attack on the law. The ACA is critical to the lives of people with disabilities and low-income Americans. Without it, millions of adults and children would lose their health coverage, or it […]
The post The Arc released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in California v. Texas: appeared first on The Arc.
We Were Afraid of Change, But The Arc Was There When Amy was born in 1967, her family was told that she needed to live in an institution to get the medical care and services she needed due to her inability to speak and move independently. Her family followed doctor’s orders and placed in her […]
The post One Family’s Story of Moving From an Institution to the Community appeared first on The Arc.
Three groups joined pending litigation AME Church v. Kemp in an amended complaint that explains how S.B. 202 violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act ATLANTA — Three prominent Georgia-based disability rights groups have joined the broad-based alliance of Georgia voters, civil rights groups, and activists fighting against the implementation of the state’s unconstitutional and […]
The post Georgia-based Disability Rights Groups Join Fight Against Georgia’s Anti-Voter Law S.B. 202 appeared first on The Arc.
