National Disability Rights Network

NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP), collectively the largest provider of legally based advocacy services for people with disabilities in the US. This is an external resource.

Affordable Care Act Amicus Briefs

State: Texas

Filed: April 1, 2019; May 13, 2020

Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. Supreme Court

Overview: The briefs support the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and outline how the ACA has been essential to overcoming the disproportionate impact that America’s health care crisis has had on people with disabilities.

Excerpt: “…declaring the ACA unconstitutional in its entirety will uniquely and extensively harm [the disability] community…Congress could not have intended to inflict such harm upon people with disabilities when it removed the financial penalty associated with the ACA’s individual mandate but left the provisions above intact. And it is even more unlikely that it intended to do so without otherwise protecting disabled people who would shoulder much of the burden of invalidating the entire ACA. This Court should not ascribe such an intent to Congress and should reverse the district court’s decision which strips away the significant gains that people with disabilities have made since the ACA’s passage.”

Case Documents

Fifth Circuit Amicus Brief

Supreme Court Amicus Brief

Related Media

Press Release: “The Arc Joins Appellate Court Amicus Brief Outlining Critical Importance of ACA for People with Disabilities

Press Release: “The Arc Deeply Troubled by Affordable Care Act Ruling

Press Release: “The Arc Joins Supreme Court Amicus Brief Urging Court to Uphold Affordable Care Act, Congressional Protections for People with Disabilities”

Press Release: “The Arc’s Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Ruling in California v. Texas

Air Carrier Access Act information

The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination in air transportation by domestic and foreign air carriers against qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments. This is an external resource.

Think Before You Drink Brochure

This brochure encourages women to think twice before drinking alcohol while pregnant. It is useful in public health clinics, doctor’s offices, schools, and anywhere more education is needed about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant.

Caregiver Survey on the Health Status of People with Intellectual Disability: Technical Report

In an effort to better understand the health of people with ID, The Arc conducted a survey with caregivers of people with IDD. This report showcases the findings from that survey.

Caregiver Survey Research Brief

In an effort to better understand the health of people with ID, The Arc conducted a survey with caregivers of people with IDD. This concise summary showcases the findings from that survey and resulting report.

Healthfully Yours

Developed by The Arc Gloucester, Healthfully Yours teaches organizations how to implement monthly health themed events that offer peer and community socialization, fundamental health and wellness education, and stimulating hands-on activities that promote independence.

Including People with Disabilities: Public Health Workforce Competencies

A series of four online courses developed AUCD and The Arc that overview competencies that public health programs should include to ensure that people with IDD are included in programs.

How The Arc Supports Disability Inclusion and Inclusive Workplaces

In this webinar, The Arc@Work speaks to international influencer Debra Ruh on what The Arc does to create inclusive workplaces and promote disability hiring.

IDD and Mental Health: What We Are Learning About Challenges and Needs

People with IDD and mental health needs and their families often struggle to get the help they need. Our first project wanted to learn what could be done to help young adults with IDD and mental health needs to get better mental health care. This project brought together young adults with IDD and their families, service providers, and researchers to develop priorities for practice and research. This project was funded by the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI). The second project hosted focus groups to learn more about the challenges that people with IDD and mental health needs and their families have and what we can be doing to better help families. This project was funded by the Family Support Research and Training Center (FSRTC). Presenters from The Arc, Boston University, and The Intellectual Developmental Disability Mental Health (IDD-MH) Research Partnership discuss their projects, results, and next steps.