The Arc logo

The Arc Awarded Contribution for New Center for Special Education Advocacy

/in /by The Arc

Washington, DC – The Arc is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contribution from AT&T to create a new Center for Special Education Advocacy called TheArc@School. The center will support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education and employment by improving the quality and availability of trained lay advocates to support the development and implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

All students who qualify for special education services are legally required to have an IEP to ensure they are receiving the support and guidance necessary to successfully pursue their educational goals. The IEP process requires an annual meeting between teachers, administrators, parents and students. In the meeting, attendees discuss everything from students’ present levels of academic achievement to their future goals and any accommodations or modifications they need in the classroom.

“These discussions can be overwhelming and intimidating for parents – many parents in The Arc’s network have shared that they are hesitant to express their opinions, they feel they do not have the expertise to participate, or that they are not encouraged to participate. As a result, plans often set low expectations or lack personalization, making it difficult for students to stay on track to achieve their full potential. TheArc@School aims to improve the process,”
said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

Currently, in order to make the process more manageable, some families choose to work with professional advocates. These advocates can be incredibly knowledgeable and can act as an excellent resource for parents and students, but many receive no formal training; they often become experts through their own personal experience navigating the special education system, usually as parents or teachers.

This contribution will allow The Arc to start by collecting data about current methods and practices, as little information about effective practices exists at this time. After analyzing this data to identify best practices, The Arc will disseminate this information through a comprehensive online resource center, making it easily available to parents, students, advocates, chapters of The Arc, and school administrators. The Arc will use this data on effective practices to inform planning to develop a comprehensive training effort aimed at lay advocates.

“AT&T is thrilled to collaborate with The Arc to provide a more comprehensive support system for students along with the resources they need for success,” said Nicole Anderson, executive director of philanthropy at AT&T. “The Center for Special Education Advocacy will be a key voice in making education accessible to more students.”

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.

Editor’s Note: The Arc is not an acronym; always refer to us as The Arc, not The ARC and never ARC. The Arc should be considered as a title or a phrase.

About Philanthropy and Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T’s signature philanthropic initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring. Through Aspire, we’ve passed the $250 million mark on our plan to invest $350 million in education from 2008-2017.

The Arc logo

Focus on Flossing This February: It’s National Children’s Dental Health Month!

/in /by The Arc

toothbrushAlthough February is technically National Children’s Dental Health Month, oral health is important for people of all ages!

Did you know people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are more likely to have dental and oral health problems than the general population? A study conducted by Tufts University indicates that people with disabilities have a higher prevalence of oral disease such as dental cavities, gum disease, and missing teeth.

Caregivers play a key support role in helping people with IDD make sure they have good oral hygiene practices like brushing teeth twice a day flossing regularly. However, only 6.4% of family caregivers have received any formal training to help their loved one keep his or her teeth clean

Fortunately, there are several resources out there for caregivers who want to learn how to help their family member improve his or her oral health. Here are a few that you may find interesting:

  • “Caregivers Role in Maintaining Good Oral Health for Individuals with IDD.” This HealthMeet webinar with Dr. Lisa Buda, DDS, overviews best oral health practices for caregivers.
  • Another HealthMeet webinar, “Oral Health, Disease, and Prevention”, focuses on preventative techniques to reduce oral health complications such as tooth decay and diseases
  • Exceptional Smiles – A caregiver’s guide to oral health, provides easy tips and videos for better brushing, lists of experienced special needs dentists, and information regarding common oral health problems people with disabilities experience.
  • Dental Care Every Day: A Caregiver’s Guide – This guide from the National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research provide guidance and strategies to caregivers on how to manage various oral health challenges common in people with developmental disabilities.
  • Special Olympics – A caregivers guide to good oral health for persons with special needs – This guide was created by the dentists and provides caregivers with step-by-step guides on how to help their family member brush teeth and floss. It includes ways to modify brushing/flossing techniques when needed.
The Arc logo

Reflections on the State of the Union Address

/in /by The Arc

By: T.J. Sutcliffe, Director of Income and Housing Policy for The Arc

Last night, Americans across the nation, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families, tuned in for President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address.

The Arc live Tweeted, and I had the honor of representing The Arc at the White House for the State of the Union Social live-viewing.

Here are five highlights that people with IDD and their families will want to know about:

  • Remembering San Bernardino — One of President Obama’s guests at ‪SOTU was Ryan Reese, partner to Larry “Daniel” Kaufman who was one of the 14 victims of the December 2 attack at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, CA. Daniel was a job coach for people with disabilities who lost his life after saving four people. As we tuned in to SOTU, our hearts were with Ryan, Daniel, and all of the victims in San Bernardino, their families, loved ones, and community.
  • Disability affects us all, and we are stronger together — At the White House, Vice President Joe Biden kicked off the SOTU watch party. In his remarks, the Vice President shared an inspiring story about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) highlighting the need for us all to work together. After now-deceased Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) rejected a precursor of the ADA, then-Senator Biden was very angry with Senator Helms and thought the worst of him. But then he learned that Senator Helms and his wife had adopted a child with a disability. The Vice President summed up, “It’s always appropriate to question another man or woman’s judgment, but it’s never appropriate to question their motive,” because you just don’t know.
  • Our lifeline: Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and SSI — We couldn’t agree more with President Obama about this: “That’s why Social Security and Medicare are more important than ever; we shouldn’t weaken them, we should strengthen them.”
  • Lois Curtis, a disability rights champion — One of the “voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far” highlighted on video as President Obama spoke was Lois Curtis, one of two named plaintiffs in the landmark ADA case Olmstead v. L.C. It was amazing to see Lois, a fierce advocate for people with disabilities, featured along with civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Alice Paul, and Cesar Chavez.
  • A SOTU for everyone — We thank the White House for making this the most accessible SOTU ever for people with disabilities.

What were your thoughts about the State of the Union? Share them with us on social media (Twitter & Facebook).

The Arc logo

Get the Year Started Off Right With National Healthy Weight Awareness Month

/in /by The Arc

Maintaining a healthy weight is hard all year round, but can be especially hard during the winter holiday season. According to the CDC, maintaining healthy weight happens when a person keeps his or her weight at the right amount based upon a person’s height, the amount of food/drink he or she eats, and his or her activity level.

Maintaining a healthy weight can be hard, but people with disabilities tend to have more difficulty maintaining a healthy weight than people without disabilities. This occurs for many reasons, including the use of various prescription drugs that cause weight gain, less opportunity or education about exercising, fewer trainers who know how to work with people with disabilities, and less education about how or why it is important to eat healthily.

Fortunately for all of us who need to be better at watching our weight, January is National Healthy Weight Awareness Month! This month encourages people of all ages, weights, dress/pant sizes, and ability levels to improve their health and well-being by being more active and eating healthier. Here are some things that you and your family can do to improve your health and start your year right:

Reaching your healthy weight goals takes time. While you may not get to your ideal weight overnight, we hope these links will provide you inspiration and opportunities to get active and have a happy and healthier 2016!