News Archive
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.
Phoenix, AZ – Today Arizona and national civil rights groups, in close collaboration with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announce the approval of revised crisis standards of care. These standards determine who does and does not receive care in […]
The post Civil Rights Groups Secure Federal Approval of Revised Crisis Standards of Care in Arizona appeared first on The Arc.
The Arc is appalled and disgusted by the offensive remarks made by Albert Watkins, an attorney representing Jacob Chansley, the self-described, “QAnon Shaman” who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 with an angry mob. In an interview with Talking Points Memo, Watkins described defendants in the Capitol attack as “all f—ing short-bus people.” […]
The post The Arc Demands a Public Apology from U.S. Capitol Riot Attorney for Offensive Comments about People with Disabilities appeared first on The Arc.
The Arc of the United States is thrilled to announce it has received an award from Verizon to implement the Building Community Resilience through Inclusive Disaster Preparedness program in 2021. Through this initiative, we will award chapters of The Arc and community organizations grants to offer online volunteer opportunities that focus on the importance of […]
The post The Arc Receives Funding from Verizon to Expand Emergency Preparedness Across the U.S. appeared first on The Arc.
This Mother’s Day, The Arc celebrates the unconditional love and infinite strength of mothers. We recognize the mother figures and grandmothers who nurture and support us – no matter what. We embrace the challenges of motherhood. We revel in the joys. If you ask Kendra Mendoza, a mother of two in North Providence, Rhode Island […]
The post Celebrating Strength This Mother’s Day: A Mother’s Persistence appeared first on The Arc.
“People assume because we have a disability we don’t need to know what sex means and how to give consent. They only see the disability. Too many people believe we can’t have an intimate relationship or get married. I didn’t have sex education because my parents wanted to protect me. My mother took me out […]
The post What Happens Next? The Role of Supporting Decision-Making in the Lives of Sexual Assault Survivors with Disabilities appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – The Arc unites with the Black community following the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. “Mr. Floyd’s life was valuable. His life matters. Black lives matter. Mr. Floyd’s murder, at the hands of Chauvin, shows us once again that racism and white supremacy plague […]
The post The Arc Unites with the Black Community in Response to the Conviction of Derek Chauvin appeared first on The Arc.
The Arc grieves the senseless death of a young Black man with a disability at the hands of police – yet again. Daunte Wright was killed by a 26-year veteran Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police officer who says she fired her gun instead of her Taser by mistake during a traffic stop. The officer has since […]
The post The Arc Condemns Killing of Daunte Wright appeared first on The Arc.
Thousands of people with disabilities in the U.S. use Medicaid to get the supports and services they need to live and be healthy every day. But, people with disabilities must often wait several years to get access to the type of supports they want and need in their own homes. Many are forced into nursing […]
The post No One Should Have to Live Like This: Steve’s Nine Year Wait for Freedom appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – For years, the service system that people with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) and their families rely on has fallen far short of meeting their needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified this problem and exposed the cracks and gaps in the care infrastructure when it comes to supporting people with disabilities. The […]
The post The Arc Encouraged by Proposal for Huge Investment in Disability Services and Direct Care Workers appeared first on The Arc.
By Nicole Jorwic, Senior Director of Public Policy, The Arc As we rally around the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act (HAA), a new bill in Congress that will transform how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live their lives, it’s siblings like Nicole and Chris Jorwic that lead with the passion to make this […]
The post Part Two: For Jud, Chris, and Millions of People With Disabilities – a Bill 70 Years in the Making Has Arrived appeared first on The Arc.
By: Marty Ford, Senior Advisor, The Arc The Arc of the United States was founded over 70 years ago by families like mine 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 […]
The post Part One: For Jud, Chris, and Millions of People With Disabilities – a Bill 70 Years in the Making Has Arrived appeared first on The Arc.
The Arc is grieving the immeasurable loss of life and condemning the racially motivated killings at three spas in the Atlanta, Georgia area. A white gunman shot and killed six Asian women and two other people during the rampage. The Arc condemns these killings and continues to condemn all actions motivated by racism and hate. […]
The post The Arc Condemns Racism and Escalating Violence Against Asian Americans and Asians Around the World appeared first on The Arc.
Washington, D.C. – As the nation continues to face a pandemic that has put a glaring spotlight on the health dangers facing people living in nursing homes and institutions, today Members of Congress unveiled a critical bill developed with The Arc and other disability and aging advocates, that will fundamentally change how people with intellectual […]
The post Independence Can’t Wait: New Bill in Congress Championed by The Arc Will Make Home and Community Based Services Available to All appeared first on The Arc.
The Arc is relieved that Congress has finally taken action to tackle the dire challenges people with disabilities face as the COVID-19 pandemic continues into a second year. The Arc and our advocates have fought every day since the start of this crisis to ensure that the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities […]
The post New COVID-19 Response Legislation Finally Recognizes Urgent Needs of People with Disabilities appeared first on The Arc.
2016 Open Enrollment November 1, 2015 Open enrollment begins December 15, 2015 Enroll before this date to have coverage January 1, 2016 January 31, 2016 Open enrollment ends If you are uninsured or looking for affordable health insurance, now is the time for you to look! During “open enrollment” you can purchase private health insurance […]
The post Need Health Insurance? Open Enrollment Is Now! appeared first on The Arc.
