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The Arc Responds to House Passage of American Health Care Act: “Shows Callous and Dangerous Disregard for the Wellbeing of People With Disabilities”

/in , , , , /by The Arc

Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement following the House of Representatives passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), with the addition of amendments that take the bill from bad to worse for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families:

“Members of the House of Representatives who supported the American Health Care Act voted against their constituents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We won’t soon forget those who so willingly ignored the pleas of their constituents who rely on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid for comprehensive health care coverage and long term services and supports that enable them to live full lives in the community. We must call this what it is – an attack on the rights and lives of people with disabilities.

“The federal government will be walking away from a more than 50 year partnership with states when it comes to Medicaid. Deep cuts and radical restructuring will decimate the Medicaid program. With an over $800 billion cut to Medicaid, states will face difficult choices about what people to cut from the program or what services to roll back. Optional services like home and community based services are likely to be cut. Lives will be lost when people are unable to access the health care and community supports they need.

“The plan that passed the House today is insufficient to keep people with disabilities insured or to support anyone with complex medical needs. If signed into law as currently written, this bill will result in people with disabilities and their family members losing health coverage in the private insurance market and in Medicaid. Coverage also becomes unaffordable as people with pre-existing conditions lose protections against higher premiums. Those lucky enough to retain their coverage will find that some of the services they need – Essential Health Benefits – are no longer available. And Medicaid funded long term supports and services, which help people live independently and be included in their communities, will be even scarcer as waiting lists for services will grow all across the country. Some may end up living in nursing homes and institutions because community services are no longer available.

“The American Health Care Act shows callous and dangerous disregard for the wellbeing of people with disabilities and their families and erases decades of progress. Now we turn to the Senate, our last line of defense. We intend to work with Senators on both sides of the aisle to oppose this harmful legislation. We continue to encourage disability advocates across the country to reach out to their Senators to voice their concern about this bill,” said Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc.

This week, The Arc released another video illustrating how Congress’ proposed changes to the ACA and Medicaid would negatively impact Americans with disabilities and their families. The video features an interview with Toby, Lindsay, and Calvin from Fairfax, VA. Calvin has Bilateral Fronto-Parietal Polymicrogyria and Cerebral Palsy and relies on multiple insurance plans to cover his medical and therapeutic treatments.

This video is the second in a series of videos The Arc will be releasing in the coming weeks, sharing the personal stories of people with disabilities and their families, and the impact of the ACA and Medicaid on their lives. The first video featured nine people who rely on the ACA and/or Medicaid, and each one has a personal message for Members of Congress and the Trump Administration.

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The Arc on the Reintroduction of ABLE Act Improvement Bills

/in , /by The Arc

By: Mike Nagel, Program Associate

Eight members of Congress have re-introduced three bipartisan bills to make improvements to the Stephen J. Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. These bills, listed below, are similar to three bills introduced last year:

  • The ABLE Age Adjustment Act (R.1874/S.817) is sponsored by Representative Tony Cardenas (D-CA) in the House, with Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), and James Langevin (D-RI) as original co-sponsors; and by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) in the Senate, with Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) as original co-sponsors. This bill raises the age of onset of disability for eligibility in the program from before age 26 to before age 46.
  • The ABLE Financial Planning Act (R.1897/S.816) is sponsored by Representative McMorris Rodgers in the House, with Representatives Sessions, Cardenas, Smith, and Langevin as original co-sponsors; and by Senator Casey in the Senate, with Senators Burr and Van Hollen in the Senate. This bill would allow a transfer of funds from a Section 529 College Savings Plan account to an ABLE account. However, funds transferred to the ABLE account would still count toward the annual contribution limit (currently $14,000).
  • The ABLE to Work Act (R.1896/S.818) is sponsored by Representative McMorris Rodgers in the House, with Representatives Sessions, Cardenas, Smith, and Langevin as original co-sponsors; and by Senator Burr, with Senators Casey and Van Hollen as original co-sponsors. This bill would increase the annual contribution limit for individuals who work by the amount they earn, up to the federal poverty level (currently $11,770). When combined with the current annual contribution limit, this bill would allow annual contributions to an ABLE account of up to a total of $25,770 for people who work. Furthermore, it makes contributions to one’s own ABLE account eligible for a Saver’s Tax Credit. However, income earned will still count toward substantial gainful activity for SSI and Medicaid eligibility.

Last year, the Senate Finance Committee approved the ABLE Financial Planning Act and the ABLE to Work Act as amendments to a larger bill, the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act of 2016 (S.3471). However, the bill did not reach the Senate floor, and no further action was taken. With the start of the 115th Congress in January, the bills must begin the legislative process again in both the House and Senate.

The Arc supports all three bills and believes they offer meaningful improvements to the ABLE
Act. However, on the basis of fairness and equity, The Arc opposes the movement of the ABLE to Work Act or ABLE Financial Planning Act before movement of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act makes more individuals eligible for the program while the other two bills improve the program only for people who are currently eligible. When the ABLE Act was passed in 2014, there was no philosophical basis for limiting the program to those disabled before the age of 26. The bill had been amended to add the age restriction in order to minimize the fiscal impact; in response to disability community concerns, House leadership made commitments to begin restoring the eligibility age as soon as possible. Many people with disabilities who advocated for the law were made ineligible by the age limitation; fairness and equity demand that efforts go to expand eligibility before making the law better for those already eligible.

Many of The Arc’s constituents are among those excluded due to the age of onset requirement. Intellectual disability and developmental disabilities begin before age 26 by definition. However, not all people with I/DD are considered to have the level of severity which allows eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security disability programs—the standard used for ABLE accounts. However, they may reach the necessary severity level, and possible eligibility for the ABLE program, as they age and acquire additional limitations, depending on whether the ABLE program age of onset is increased.

The Arc will continue to support all three bills, but we emphasize that the ABLE Age Adjustment Act should be passed before or together with the other bills.

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Stories Make Us Stronger: Please Share Yours Through the 2017 FINDS Survey

/in /by The Arc

By: Amie Lulinski, PhD, FAAIDD, Director, Research and Evaluation

Data comes in a variety of forms: charts, graphs, spreadsheets, reports, articles. No matter the shape it takes, data tells a story. Those stories play a powerful role in advocacy through demonstrating the great things people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are doing as well as showing where the gaps in supports and services remain. These gaps can become giant caverns in the life of individuals with I/DD and keep them from realizing their full potential.

Our advocacy for and with individuals with I/DD is at its best when we have concrete data to back it up. That’s why we need your input on our crucial FINDS Survey. In 2010, The Arc and the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Community Living conducted the Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) Survey: a groundbreaking and needed examination of the supports that people with I/DD receive across the country. The research team received responses from parents, siblings, and other caregivers detailing their perspectives on the supports their clients and loved ones receive in education, employment, community living, and other life-span activities.

The results of this survey, highlighted in a summary report published by The Arc in 2011, revealed that many people with I/DD were failing to receive the supports needed to live independent and fulfilled lives. For example, the 2010 data told us that 60% of family caregivers provide 40 or more hours of support per week. This data is used to advocate at the federal and state policy levels for increased funding in in-home supports and respite services.

In an effort to remain informed and responsive to the challenges facing today’s disability community, The Arc and the University of Minnesota are conducting the 2017 FINDS survey. This survey comes at a critical time for many within our community, as current proposals will have an impact on the future of many of the funds and support services that people with I/DD currently benefit from. Please help us paint a modern and diverse picture of I/DD across America by participating in the 2017 FINDS survey.

The survey seeks caregivers (family or otherwise) living in the US and its Territories aged 18+ who provide frequent, primary support to share their experiences. The deadline to submit a completed survey is April 30. Please click on this link to fill out a survey online, download a copy in English or Spanish, or forward the link to a friend!

Please let me know if you have any questions by emailing me at Lulinski@thearc.org.

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Everyone’s Right to Reach Unimaginable Heights

/in , /by The Arc

By: Nicole Jorwic, Director of Rights Policy, The Arc of the United States, and oldest of four.

There is a saying that goes, “the two greatest gifts that a parent can give a child are roots and wings.” These are gifts that I have been lucky enough to receive, along with my siblings, including my brother Chris who has autism. My brother Chris is nonverbal, and it wasn’t until he was in his late teens that we appreciated his true intellectual capacity. Before that he was “locked away,” his words, “by autism.” My parents, even before we knew Chris’ true level of intelligence, presumed his competence and pushed his teachers, therapists and service providers to think beyond his disability. It is with that perspective that I read the recent New York Times Magazine Article “Should Parents of Children With Severe Disabilities Be Allowed to Stop Their Growth?”

The article highlights the incidents of parents of children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities unnaturally stunting the growth of their children, in order to make it easier to care for them at home throughout their lifetime. This decision, I can imagine, is not come to without a great deal of deliberation and trepidation. However, it should not be the parent’s choice to make. The Arc’s Health Position Statement is clear:

“Treatments for persons with I/DD that are proposed primarily for the convenience of the caregiver (such as medical procedures that interfere with typical growth and development) must be denied.”

The decision making process, outlined in this piece, is based on the needs and desires of the caregivers, and completely removes the voice and rights of that child with a disability.

The parents are also making the decision based on information that they have received from doctors about their child’s developmental age and potential. This is science that is imperfect at best. As noted in the article, there is “a significant body of research shows that the intellects of people with severe motor impairments can be grossly underestimated.”

With this incomplete information decisions are made, despite the reality that many individuals, including my brother’s, intellectual capacities are not known or can evolve over their lifetimes, especially when they find a means to communicate. This is proven true with the child who is featured in the story. Ricky has “shown signs of purposeful movement, an important developmental milestone, by using a head-motion-activated assistive-communication device to stop and start videos at his school for the visually impaired.” This development is, I am sure, treasured by the family, but it also shows that Ricky’s right to self determination was eliminated by the decision to stunt his growth. As is clearly stated in The Arc’s Rights Position Statement regarding self determination:

“People with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities have the same right to self-determina­tion as all people. They must have opportunities and experiences that enable them to exert con­trol in their lives and to advocate on their own behalf.”

The ability to assert control in their lives was violated by the decision to stunt their growth, and the rights of these children were breached. There is a dignity of risk for all of us, including individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. That includes the right to grow, make mistakes, and to thrive. Perhaps what these families should be advocating for is not the ability to stop their child’s growth, but, what should be advocated for is better technology to help the children communicate their wants and needs, as well as technology and better supports that will make it easier for their children, as they grow into adults, to stay at home. That growth will come from roots, planted in the belief that every person has a right to reach their full physical stature and their full potential. All of us grow in ways we couldn’t have imagined as children, and all people with disabilities must be afforded the right to achieve those “unimaginable” heights.

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A Lifelong Advocate Asks Families to Speak Up

/in /by Guest Blogger

Ginger Pottenger has been a member of The Arc – at either the local, state, or national level – since the early 1970s. She lives in Arizona, near her daughters, Kandi and Kristi.

How did you get involved in the disability advocacy movement?

I was an advocate before I knew it what that really meant. My daughter Kandi, who will soon turn 51, was diagnosed with “mental retardation,” as it was known then, when she was 3. The diagnosing doctor’s advice was to take her home and love her. And that’s what we did. We stumbled into inclusion. We were lucky to be in a community and at a pre-school that saw the value in her being included with kids without disabilities. When Kandi started grade school, someone asked me if we were involved in The Arc. So I went to my first meeting at my local chapter, and before long, I was serving on their board.

As a parent, what were some of the early struggles and triumphs you encountered?

I didn’t fully appreciate it then, but Kandi’s inclusion in pre-school was a triumph at that point in time. This was still the era of putting kids in institutions. But we had our ups and downs – I had to push hard to have Kandi walk at high school graduation. Then as a young adult, living a few towns away and working in the community, we had some serious issues with the staff.

You have been both a “professional advocate”, serving as an executive director of chapters of The Arc and on boards and other positions, and a parent to Kandi. How have those experiences shaped how you advocate?

I have seen the power of the personal, nitty gritty story, on public policy. People are too scared to get on the phone or get in front of their elected officials, and tell them the consequences of their policy decisions. Or people will think they don’t have time to advocate. And I understand raising a family, including a child with special needs, maintaining a career, a marriage, a life – it all takes time. But you’re in it for the long haul as a parent. Share your hopes and dreams for your family, the struggles, your fears.

What’s your biggest concern today for the future of Kandi and other people with I/DD?

What is going on at the federal level with funding and the structure of Medicaid scares me to death. And it should scare others into action. The threat to our funding is real and if we lose the supports that Kandi has, our options are bleak. Chapters of The Arc should be the place they go for training on how to advocate, for encouragement from chapter leaders and other families.

How do you suggest presenting your story?

I don’t sugarcoat it – I just met with my state senator recently, and I told her – I can’t die not knowing that the supports will be in place for Kandi. I’ve worked too hard for it to all go away when I’m not here. Right now, she’s in a good place, living in a townhome, with some supports, and has supported employment in the community. But what does the future hold for her if public policy decisions change the way the money flows?

I’ve been doing this for many years, and I still write out what I want to say, and I practice. I may only get 10 minutes with that important person, and I’m going to make an impact. I tell them about our lives and why these supports are so important. I want them to understand and remember that our lives are impacted by their policy decisions.

What else do you think makes an impact?

I’ve also dug into the dollar and cents of what Kandi receives, to demonstrate that the investment is going a long way to her independence. I contacted our Division of Developmental Disabilities office in Arizona to get the dollars for Kandi’s supports. I had them break it down between federal and state dollars and type of support. Kandi has support in her house and supported employment supports at work. I then took those numbers down to what the state and feds pay a day so Kandi can have a real life in the community. I compared the cost to more restrictive settings and it is so much less money!

What do you do to develop a relationship with your elected officials?

It begins by visiting with them. I take notes about my interactions with public officials. Thank them for what they’ve done right. The disability community is thrilled with the passage of the ABLE Act. And it was the most bipartisan thing Washington has done in a long time! You have allies where you least expect it.

Any final thoughts to share?

Families can’t wait for the crisis to think about the future. It blows my mind how many people with disabilities the same age range as Kandi, whose families haven’t considered what’s going to happen when they die. The Arc’s Center on Future Planning is going to be a great resource to them, and so will their local and state chapters of The Arc. These families need to face reality – so much has changed for people with I/DD in society. We can’t go backwards, and they’ve got to step up.

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Autism Acceptance: Accept Me, Not A Label

/in /by Guest Blogger

By Amy Goodman, M.A.

Autism is not something to be feared, nor is it solely defined by medical jargon or categories. It needs to be accepted as the way an individual thinks, feels, and expresses themselves; nothing more, nothing less. An individual who happens to have a diagnosis needs to be accepted as a human being first and foremost. The expression of their autism may come in many forms and whatever that may look like, it needs to be accepted as part of the person and part of what motivates them.

If we start by accepting autism as part of the person and not let their autism be what defines them, then we can be free to be who we want to be. I have taken on the challenge and embraced my autism. I do not let it run my life; therefore, I have broken some barriers and set an example that individuals on the autism spectrum can be accepted for who they are and what they can contribute to society. Let’s celebrate not only acceptance but that autism is not a disability but differently abled. Think positive and find unique solutions to problems, always remember this; there is more than one way to do things and no one correct way to do something. By accepting autism, individuals are embracing and empowering themselves to be who they always knew they would be.

Ever since my diagnosis, in my mid 30s, I have learned so much about myself and how it is possible to influence others just by being there and listening. Sharing my story has made such a difference in my life and now I have a new found talent that I would like to tell others about. As part of my job as Director of Autism Now, I was a contributor for Talent Scout, our toolkit for employers, that reflects the opinions and voices of people on the spectrum. I will also be available to do consulting services as well. That will include such things as being a public speaker at conferences, giving presentations, being a leader in the autism community, as well as telephone or e-mail consultations.

Acceptance is what it’s all about: accepting someone for who they are, for the difference they can make in someone’s life, and accepting them as a human being first. Always a person first and never a label or diagnosis; don’t fix what isn’t broken, let the person with autism tell you what they need and want, and always let them make their own choices for themselves. That’s what it means to accept autism, being free and being me.

Amy Goodman is the Director of Autism Now at The Arc of the United States. She has an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education with a minor in autism. She is an individual on the autism spectrum who enjoys helping others to understand what it is like to live with a developmental disability and has a passion for helping others in their journeys with their children with unique abilities to live life to the fullest as independently as possible. She likes to be a self-advocate and fight for the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as time permits. She also has a passion for reading, crossword puzzles, square dancing, and parrots and owls.

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What It’s Like to Be Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder as an Adult

/in /by The Arc

By Amy Goodman, Co-Director of the Autism NOW Center, at The Arc of the United States

In the recent past, Jerry Seinfeld had mentioned that he might be on the autism spectrum and then he had to backtrack and say he wasn’t on the spectrum. Because of a play he saw that was about autism, he thought he had some connection to it. That is all fine and dandy, but what about individuals who have been diagnosed with it as an adult and live with it every day. I just wanted to say that autism, ASD, or Asperger’s is nothing to be taken lightly. It is a developmental disability that affects how one thinks and it is the reactions that one has to the environment around them.

To me what it means to be diagnosed as an adult is this: It meant I finally found what I had been searching for, for more than 30 years. It meant closure of something looming over me. It meant satisfaction in me and my life in general. It was a relief to put a name to my idiosyncrasies and it gave me understanding and wisdom.

I was able to take responsibility for my life, make new plans on what I wanted to do with myself and I was able to put the pieces together and step through the next hurdle in my life. It gave me freedom to explore new opportunities and to see myself for who I am. I had a new found confidence and I realized I’m not different, that I do have a purpose and it also allowed me follow my dreams and go in a totally new direction.

It opened my eyes and washed away all my guilt that I had about myself and my abilities; therefore I was able to move forward with my new life. It gave me a whole new understanding of myself. The understanding was this that I am who I am and I am not bad, diseased, or broken. I have a name for all my challenges but that it is not a label, it is not bad, it just is. It is part of who I am and it will always be with me, but in the end does it really matter that I am on the spectrum? No, it does not. I am a human first and I have a name, Amy, autism or Asperger’s does not define me. So, I stopped obsessing over it, embraced it for what it is and I used my characteristics to help me to identify my next steps.

I took those next steps and I found that I am lovable, capable, and that I can do better than what others thought I was capable of doing. In fact, I have expanded my horizons and have even impressed myself with what I can do.

It means you know who you are, and it helped me to identify what I needed to do and by having this new found knowledge I was able to help others to see the light as well. Individuals with autism and Asperger’s are capable, bright, and able to achieve all of their dreams and then some if they just put their mind to it. Some individuals may need more help along the way than others, but don’t ever let anyone tell you “you can’t” because the reality is you can.

Dream big, live life to the fullest, and be happy. Do what you are meant to do. Being diagnosed as an adult gave me inspiration to do something, that something was go to graduate school and get my Master’s in Special Education with a minor in autism, so do something and make something of yourself. It can be done, if you have hope, happiness, and faith and you will succeed. Don’t give up, always remember to smile and remember this: No is not the answer. Yes is always the answer and what was the question? Oh I guess I forgot oh well it doesn’t matter because the answer will always be what you want it to be. That is yes, I can Yes, I will and Yes, I did. I conquered it and now that is all I have to say.

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April Is Autism Awareness Month

/in /by The Arc

Child holding face signApril is national Autism Awareness Month and The Arc and the Autism NOW National Autism Resource & Information Center are working to empower people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with the information and resources they need to live their lives to the fullest potential. We are also working to help others become more accepting of people with ASDs.

With the CDC declaring that 1 in 68 children may be impacted by autism spectrum disorders, it’s a fair bet that each one of us knows someone with autism or someone who has a family member or friend with autism. That’s why it’s important to dispel all of the myths and misinformation to understand and accept what having an ASD really means. And that’s why The Autism NOW Center exists, to weed through the volumes of information out there and provide high-quality, vetted resources and information to people with autism and other developmental disabilities, their family, friends, colleagues, teachers, employers and others.

To promote awareness and acceptance, we invite you to view and share a new video about Autism NOW and learn more. Also, we encourage you to join in the conversation! Throughout April, we will publish the personal stories and perspectives of people with autism on the Autism NOW blog to generate discussion about autism awareness and acceptance. We invite your comments here and on our social media channels using the hashtag #AutismAware.

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Let’s Go Out on March 29

/in /by The Arc

The Arc Plans for a National Day Out Event for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March is national Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The Arc invites you to join us on March 29 in a grassroots initiative to help raise awareness about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

What should you do? If you are a person with I/DD or know someone who has I/DD, simply make plans to go out somewhere in public on Saturday, March 29. That’s all. Just plan a day out and about enjoying the things you like to do. And, in the process help raise awareness and generate some conversation about people with I/DD during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This one-day movement will serve to harness our collective power to gain allies, foster understanding, dispel myths and encourage a greater understanding among people without a disability.

Year round, The Arc works to promote and protect the rights of people with I/DD to live, learn, work and play as valued and contributing members of their communities. We fight for legislation to remove barriers to full participation and inclusion and have been successful on many fronts. But sometimes the barrier has nothing to do with the width of a doorway or an employer’s hiring practices. Sometimes the barrier is as subtle as a nervous glance from an uninformed person in line with you at the market.

So, this March 29, let’s all go out and start breaking down those social barriers once and for all. As an individual with I/DD, this is your chance to personally help raise awareness just by being yourself and participating in the things you enjoy alongside others in your community without disabilities. Make plans now to hit the movies, the park, your local shopping center or restaurant and maybe spark some conversation in the process. If you are a friend or family member of a person with I/DD, make plans now to enjoy a fun activity together in public and take the opportunity to show others that we’re all not so different after all.

Visit The Arc’s website at www.thearc.org/lets-go-out and find out more about this campaign and things you can do join in. And spread the word using the hashtag #DDAware on social media during the month of March. Follow us online at www.facebook.com/thearcus or www.twitter.com/thearcus and be sure to show us what you end up doing on March 29 by sharing your photos using the hashtag #DDAware.

Want to do more? You can help support The Arc’s national organization through a tax-deductible donation. Or you can find your local chapter at www.thearc.org/findachapter.

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On His Own Terms

/in /by The Arc

Ricardo Thornton always had big hopes and dreams. But as is too often the case with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), they seemed almost impossible to achieve. Fourteen years of Ricardo’s childhood was spent in the confines of Forest Haven in Laurel, Maryland. Forest Haven (closed in 1991) was the District of Columbia’s public institution for children and adults with a variety of mental, intellectual, and developmental disabilities that had a dark history of abuse of residents and below standard conditions. His sister and brother were also residents and, sadly, his sister died there, never experiencing a full life outside of the institution.

Ricardo was determined that his life would have a different outcome, but leaving the institution was just the beginning of his struggle. Ricardo took his first step by landing a job at the Martin Luther King Library, where he has worked for more than 35 years. Donna, a friend and fellow former resident of Forest Haven, got a job nearby at Walter Reed Medical Center. Donna soon got her own apartment and Ricardo’s weekly visits to her blossomed into romance.

For most, this would not be extraordinary, but at that time people with I/DD were rarely encouraged to live independently and certainly not to get married. Unlike The Arc, most developmental disabilities agencies, caregivers and even family members did not believe that people with I/DD could be employed, let alone live independently. Fewer still believed that they could have mature, intimate relationships.

Ricardo and Donna forged the way, but the journey wasn’t easy. While other couples only need to fill out basic information for a marriage license, Ricardo and Donna were told that it was illegal for people with I/DD to get married in D.C.! With support from The Arc of D.C. and other disability rights organizations, and through the couple’s own sheer determination, Ricardo and Donna eventually realized their dream of being together.

Life progressed, and like many newlyweds they wrestled with the question of parenthood, something their friends and medical personnel advised against. But, eventually they had a baby boy, who is now a successful 25-year-old with a wife and daughter of his own.

Now, Ricardo is one of The Arc’s most well-known self-advocates – living life on his own terms and inspiring others with I/DD. He shares his life story with audiences across the country, pointing out that making his hopes and dreams a reality required determination and the right amount of help, guidance and resources. His inspirational story has even been made into a movie called Profoundly Normal.

“I’ve seen people with severe disabilities who have grown and accomplished great things given the right support,” he testified before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

The Arc is proud to have been able to help Ricardo achieve his goals for more than 30 years. The Arc supports individuals with I/DD in communities nationwide through a national network of chapters. In many cases, what people like Ricardo hope and dream for is what we often take for granted – from securing a job and getting married to having a child and living in the community of their choice on their own terms. We continue to advocate on behalf of the thousands of people with I/DD who are still living in state run institutions. With the tireless efforts of The Arc of Alabama, Alabama became the first state in the southeast to no longer operate large public institutions, and in December 2014, Illinois will have closed 4 out of the 5 of its state run institutions.

Your support allows The Arc to continue its important work. You can help people like Ricardo and Donna live life on their own terms with your donation today.