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The Arc’s Heart Breaks for Victims in San Bernardino

/in /by The Arc

Washington, DC – The Arc, the nation’s largest civil rights organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families, released the following statement on the tragic shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California:

“Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragedy, the people suffering injuries, and the families impacted by this senseless act. The Arc’s collective heart is broken.

“The Inland Regional Center is one of thousands of service systems across the country for people with IDD and their families. It’s a place where people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, and dedicated staff gather to access services, learn how to navigate the service delivery system, and enjoy functions like the holiday party that took place the day before the shooting. It’s not a place you would ever expect such violence.

“Today, and every day after, people with disabilities, parents, siblings, caregivers, and staff will walk into the Inland Regional Center. When will they feel safe again? They will live with this trauma, feel the pain like anyone else, and they must have access to services to support them to overcome it. Far too often in our society, the abilities of people with IDD are underestimated. Appropriate supports must be available to them to process and heal after this tragedy, otherwise it will be an open wound. We owe all of those touched by this tragedy the dignity of healing,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

Read The Arc of California’s statement.

The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of more than 665 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with IDD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.

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Only a Day? We Celebrate International Day of People With Disabilities All Year!

/in /by The Arc

Every year the International Day of People with Disabilities takes place on December 3. However, when you are an organization that has been around for as long as we have, you celebrate it every day, all year long!

This year the theme is “Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.” There are an estimated one billion people with disabilities living in the world, all of which still face obstacles and barriers to inclusion, health care, and justice. Did you know that people with disabilities around the world also have less access to health care than the general population?

The CDC indicates that people with disabilities have poorer overall health and have less access to good health care. So how can we help decrease the barriers that face people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD)?

In our webinar, “Identifying and Improving Barriers to Healthcare for Individuals with IDD,” Dr. Meg Traci, Ph.D., discusses the barriers that confront the IDD community when accessing adequate health care. She not only addresses the barriers but offers techniques to resolve them. For further information, check out our other webinar on barriers in health promotion, “Barriers to Health Promotion for Persons with Disabilities.”

While there are plenty of barriers to health care, there are always ways that we can improve access for all people.

What about you? How are you helping to improve access and empowerment of people with IDD? Although you can’t solve every issue in at one time, the important thing is to get involved!

Get involved by:

Here are some great steps to see your event come to life in your own community:

Good luck celebrating and organizing your community to promote inclusion of people with disabilities!

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Donald Trump Did What?

/in /by The Arc

Over the holiday weekend, social media and the airwaves were full of appropriate outrage over Donald Trump’s mocking of the appearance of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski’s, a person with a disability.

The disparaging treatment of people with disabilities by celebrities and other public figures is sadly not all that uncommon. The list of celebrities that The Arc has called out in recent years is long – comedian Tracy Morgan, football star Joe Flacco, to name a few.

Now we have a candidate for President of the United States to add to that list.

These recent events remind us that we need to hear from all candidates on where they stand on the issues facing people with disabilities as these voters prepare to vote for their next President in less than a year.

Where do all of the candidates stand on:

  • Ensuring Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security Disability Insurance, and Supplemental Security Income are there for qualified people with disabilities who need support?
  • Expanding opportunity for jobs in the community for people with disabilities?
  • Creating more affordable, accessible, inclusive housing in the community for people with disabilities?
  • Ensuring that the civil rights of people with disabilities are respected in the classroom, the criminal justice system, our health care system, and so on?

Roughly one in five Americans has a disability – and there are millions of Americans who are related to, friends with, or support a person with a disability in their lives. Their votes are up for grabs. And they are listening for substance from the entire field.

And to the media covering these candidates – start asking the tough questions on how those running to be the next President will improve the lives of people with disabilities. You are in a position to change this conversation. Use your power – just as people with disabilities will use theirs come November 2016.