The Arc logo

Get More Out of The Arc’s National Convention and International Forum

/in /by The Arc

The Arc’s National Convention & International Forum, taking place October 25-28, will be filled with enlightening and informative sessions on such topics as what it means to live in the community, be a leader in the movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and creating change through advocacy. And, we’ll hear from heavy-weight speakers such as advocate Judy Heumann and Eric Rosenthal of Disability Rights International.

But it’s not all work and no play. If you’re joining us in Washington D.C. this year, come prepared for a weekend filled with fun in addition to the vital information you’ll gain during sessions and the valuable connections you’ll make with others in the intellectual and developmental disabilities community.

Don’t miss the following:

Red Hot on the Red Carpet! This opening night event pairs the glamour of Hollywood with inspiring and thought provoking short films made for and about people with I/DD which will be screened during The Arc & Sprout National Film Festival. Plan to get dressed up and stroll the “red carpet” but be prepared for the paparazzi and autograph seekers! The red carpet festivities are open to all, but the film festival is a ticketed event. During the film festival, we’ll be giving away free DVD copies of “One Question” – a short film by Sprout which asks one important question to a group of individuals with disabilities. You’ll be inspired by their answers!

Meet New Friends from Across the Globe. Inclusion International, a global federation of organizations advocating for people with I/DD is co-hosting this year’s event and we’re expecting many of their members from countries as diverse as Panama, Lebanon, Uganda and New Zealand. Make new friends and get an international perspective on the issues.

The Arc’s Annual Research Luncheon. Celebrate the international flavor imported by our event partners, Inclusion International, at a tartan-themed luncheon recognizing accomplishments in the research field.

The Market and Entrepreneur Alley. Visit The Marketplace exhibit hall to discover unique micro businesses run by self-advocate entrepreneurs and purchase hand crafted art and other items created by people with I/DD.

The Marketplace Bookstore. Browse through titles published by AAIDD and other sources on topics of interest to people with I/DD, their families and professionals in the field.

Rock the Night Hand Dancing Celebration. Close out this year’s event with an evening of hand dancing, also known as “D.C. Swing.” Everyone can enjoy this traditional form of swing dancing that can be traced back to the 1920s.

Register Now and Save. Early registration and room rates are available until September 3!

The Arc logo

The Market Allows Self Advocates to Achieve With The Arc Long Distance: An Insider’s Preview

/in /by The Arc

It was an exciting time at The Arc’s National Office last week when I let out a cheer and announced that we had the first six vendors for The Market at The Arc’s 2012 National Convention and International Forum in Washington, DC.  This meant that The Arc’s newest project in honor of self-advocate entrepreneurs will become a reality in this year’s Marketplace on October 26 and 27!  I feel that The Market will be the crowning achievement, which makes the 2012 National Convention EXTRA special.

There is plenty new and different that will already make this year’s Convention unique and one of a kind.  We are co-hosting this event with Inclusion International, and up to 150 international visitors from countries around the world will be in our nation’s capital attending the conference.  This will be an opportunity for attendees from the United States to mingle with professionals, family members and self-advocates from Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. We will have the chance to learn about the issues surrounding the inclusion of self-advocates in other nations, and explore our own issues and accomplishments surrounding inclusion through a fresh set of eyes.

We were determined to make Entrepreneur Alley bigger and better than EVER this year in honor of this year’s theme of inclusion. There was only one problem: we were getting feedback from self-advocates that travel to Washington, DC and lodging were often hurdles too expensive for our self-advocate microbusiness owners to climb. This is why I LOVE working at The Arc: instead of giving up on this dream, we took this issue as a challenge. And from this challenge, The Market was born!

I have been working the phones for weeks straight pitching our new opportunity to self-advocate run businesses across the country. Sign up to be a part of The Market, and The Arc’s team of dedicated staff and volunteers, spearheaded by yours truly, will sell your merchandise for you right in the heart of Entrepreneur Alley! The area will be set up as a bazaar with a biography and photo of each self-advocate owner, so that their stories can be told. Or, if you prefer, you can send us your marketing brochures, pens, flyers, key chains, or other materials to display and all of our national and international attendees will be able to learn more about you and your business. We waited in anticipation to see if the idea would break through and attract attention, it is always a nail biter to see if a new concept will gain traction, and we are now exited to announce our first 6 vendors at The Market!

  • Aid for Abby features the artwork of a young self-advocate on the autism spectrum named Abby. She loves to share her paintings with the world, and she and her mother Bonnie also sell special handmade dog treats.
  •  JennyLU Designs will be selling charm earrings and necklaces created by a special and talented artist named Jenny, who has Williams syndrome.
  • Just for You CardArt features the handmade greeting cards of best friends and self-advocates Donna and Jenna. Their cards sold wonderfully at The National Down Syndrome Congress in Washington, DC this month, and they cannot wait to share them with us!
  • Through the Same Door is led by self-advocate activist Micah Fialka-Feldman, who loves to tell the inspirational story of his life on the front lines in the fight for inclusion in higher education. He also sells DVDs which tell this story.
  • COMAAT stands for Changing One Mind at a Time, and is run by Jennifer Walsh, a self-advocate with a Master’s degree who speaks at conferences and gives seminars on inclusion.
  • Casey’s Cookies is a tiny non-profit, which sells homemade cookies, which are baked, packaged and sold by self-advocates in the state of Florida.

I want to thank these self-advocate business people for answering our call to join us at The Market this year and hope that this will be the first of many such events to come! If you are a self-advocate entrepreneur, who would like to sell your wares but is unable to afford travel, it is not too late to join The Market! Please call me at (202) 534-3720 or email me at katz@thearc.org for more details, and I would be happy to sign you up. If you are a supporter of The Arc, who will be attending Convention this year, please be sure to stop by The Market this year to support these wonderful microbusinesses from across the country!

The Arc logo

Our Journey to Bring “Our Friend Mikayla” to Schools Across Pennsylvania

/in /by Guest Blogger

By Kim Resh, mother to Mikayla Resh

It is a certainly a most amazing accomplishment that Our Friend Mikayla, the book inspired by my daughter and written and illustrated by her third grade classmates, is now in every public elementary school in Pennsylvania. Still, I’m really not entirely surprised. I believe in kids. I always have. And if at any time I had doubts, kids have always renewed my faith.

No matter how certain we were of our decision to include Mikayla in a regular education classroom, we were afraid of how the other kids would react and respond to her. But our fears were unfounded. From the very first day, the children wanted to push her in her wheelchair, sit next to her at lunch, even turn off her feeding pump when it alarmed. So when they grew old enough to write their story, I knew theirs was a message worth sharing.

I’ve always said that even if the book was never published, the time we all spent working together was an incredible experience. Our honest discussions were priceless and are clearly portrayed through the kids’ writing. When I edited their words into one story, I was surprised at how easily the book wrote itself. And to be honest, almost everything else has fallen into place with equal ease.

I wrote one grant for publishing. That was approved, and another organization asked to help. Individuals and families privately donated copies of Our Friend Mikayla to their own school libraries. It was obviously more difficult to find donors for a statewide distribution program so I am grateful to Walmart and Air Products for their grants, which respectively afforded the printing and mailing of books across the state.

Still, am I surprised every public elementary school finally has a copy? No, humbled and most appreciative, but not surprised. It is all about the kids. They are smart. They understand more than adults at times. Young children are innocent and pure, capable of unconditional friendship and compassion. If learned young, these lessons last forever. By including our students with and without disabilities in the same classrooms, they will teach other life’s most important lessons. Our Friend Mikayla is not just a book, it is a wonderful example of what is possible in every school across the state, country, and beyond.

The Arc logo

Charging Through Belle Isle Raceway With The Arc

/in /by Guest Blogger

By Laurie Istook, wife of driver Don Istook

As Don and I tour the country for the Pirelli World Challenge, we have had the opportunity to meet many amazing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) through The Arc Audi Racing Program. Most recently we were in Detroit at the Belle Isle Raceway. We were joined by staffers and self-advocates from The Arc of Western Wayne County.

The time leading up to the race and prepping with our new friends from The Arc was wonderful. From teaching them about the car, to having them help Don and his team get ready for the race it was an exciting time for all of us. The real highlight came after the race when Don won the “Hard Charger” award for the race. He won because he moved ahead of more cars during the race than any other driver.

While accepting his award on the winner’s podium, Don dedicated it to my brother Mark and our visitors from The Arc.  He let everyone know that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be “hard chargers” too if they are just given the chance.

We look forward to more races, victories, and of course to continuing our work with The Arc and their local chapters.

The Arc logo

Join The Arc and Inclusion International for “Achieving Inclusion Across the Globe”

/in /by The Arc

Registration is now open for the 2012 National Convention and International Forum in Washington, DC October 25-28. This year, The Arc will be joined by Inclusion International, a global federation of family-based organizations advocating for the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with others in the intellectual and developmental disability community at this annual gathering of The Arc’s membership, chapter staff and volunteers, professionals and experts in the field and individuals with I/DD and their families.

Meet us at the Grand Hyatt in downtown D.C. to explore the global implications of Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Living independently and being included in the community. Inclusion International is involved in an important campaign to promote Article 19, which will culminate at this event with the release of a special Global Report. Also, we’ll focus on national and international issues related to advocacy, employment, and public policy.

This four-day event filled with enlightening and informative sessions kicks off with pre-conferences dedicated to the topics of leadership and self-advocacy. Then, The Arc & Sprout National Film Festival brings you a new slate of entertaining short films by and about people with I/DD. The Arc will hold three Annual Business Meetings to adopt several revised position statements and hold elections for its Board of Directors among other important business. And, look for Entrepreneur Alley in the Marketplace where businesspeople with I/DD can showcase their entrepreneurial spirit. Then, stick around for a closing event with D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray sharing the popular tradition of “Hand Dancing” (similar to swing dancing) with the crowd.

Register now and take advantage of early registration and hotel discounts.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Arc Thrift Stores of Colorado, CARF International, Diversified Nonprofit Services, Hammer Travel, Managance Coaching and Consulting, Marsh, Medisked, MetLife, Mutual of America, NADD, Rest Assured, Special Needs Alliance and Vibrant Creative.

The Arc logo

2012 Disability Policy Seminar Recap

/in /by The Arc

Last week, nearly 700 advocates from 48 states gathered in Washington, DC for the annual Disability Policy Seminar. Attendees heard from Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez, and Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy, Kareem Dale, and were treated to a reception on Capitol Hill hosted by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). They also had the chance to gather information from policy experts and representatives from the Obama administration about key issues for the intellectual and developmental disabilities community before spending a day in the House and Senate advocating for their cause with their elected representatives. And many attended special meet and greet sessions for self-advocates and siblings from The National Council of Self Advocates of The Arc and the National Sibling Council. If you missed this year, be sure to plan to attend the 2013 Disability Policy Seminar April 15-17 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Washington, DC.

The Arc logo

Join Us for Our First Twitter Chat

/in /by The Arc

On Monday, April 30 at 3:00 p.m. ET, The Arc will host a Twitter chat with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations to talk about the latest data on the prevalence of autism and the resources available to people with autism spectrum disorders and their families. During the hour-long chat, we will take your questions and comments – so join us for this Twitter dialogue!

We will explore topics like the early signs of autism in a child, the latest research, including the CDC’s new prevalence data, and resources available through The Arc’s Autism NOW Center.

Following the chat on Twitter is easy. First, follow @TheArcUS and @AutismNowCenter on Twitter. We’ll be using the hashtag: #TheArcChat – this link will allow you to follow the conversation.

There, you’ll be able to follow the conversation in real-time. Keep in mind, if you want to participate in the chat, you’ll need an account on Twitter. If you haven’t used Twitter before, here’s a great link to learn more about it and the basics of Twitter.

If you need an accessible version of Twitter, we recommend using Easy Chirp. Simply visit its website, and sign in with your Twitter credentials.

If you want to be part of the conversation on Twitter, simply use the hashtag: #TheArcChat when you tweet. You can find out more about hashtags in Twitter’s Help section.

We hope to hear from you on Monday, April 30th during our Twitter chat on autism.

The Arc logo

Start Your Engines!

/in /by The Arc

The Arc is excited to race into cities across the country with Istook’s Motorsports, Volkswagen Group of America, and the Pirelli World Challenge Series to raise awareness of The Arc and and I/DD among racing fans everywhere.

We officially kick of The Arc Audi Racing Program at the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 15. Twenty individuals from The Arc of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are heading to the racetrack to serve as honorary crew members for Istook’s Motorsports. They’ll get hands-on in the paddock with the drivers and crews as they prepare for the race and then watch the team compete for point in the Prielli World Challenge Series with their Audi TT RS.

Team owner Don Istook and his wife Laurie share The Arc’s commitment to ensuring that people with I/DD are fully included, especially when it comes to employment opportunities. Laurie’s brothers Mark and Tyson Heitt both were diagnosed with Fragile X, but that has not stopped them from working as an integral part of Don’s race team. Don and Laurie wanted to give other people with I/DD a taste of what it might be like to be part of a fast-paced race crew and came to The Arc with a unique idea to include individuals in the excitement of race day as the team moves from town to town to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge Series.

Follow The Arc Audi Racing Program as we take this exciting ride with Don and his team. The Arc’s national office will be posting updates from the races on Facebook and Twitter in the coming months. And you can see the races live online and on later broadcast by NBC Sports.

The Arc logo

The Countdown Is On to All-Electronic Social Security Payments

/in /by The Arc

The Treasurer of the United States, Rosie Rios, started an official “countdown clock” marking less than one year until the March 1, 2013 deadline when all federal benefit recipients must receive their Social Security and other federal benefit payments electronically.

The move will help taxpayers save $1 billion over 10 years and will greatly decrease the risk of identity and check theft faced by recipients of mailed benefits. Currently, about 90 percent of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments are being made electronically. The remaining 10 percent have less than a year left to switch over before electronic benefits become mandatory.

This will impact many of the millions of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are eligible for and rely on these benefits, their families and those who act as trustees for federal benefit payments. . However, the Treasury Department has attempted to make it easy to set up electronic payments through its “Go Direct” campaign. Free financial education materials are available along with a “Go Direct Money Matters” page at www.godirect.org which offers not only information about how to receive electronic payments, but tips for retirement planning, preventing theft and more. Check it out and mark your calendar for March 1, 2013 if you or someone you care about receives federal benefit checks by mail.

The Arc logo

Top Five Reasons to Attend the 2012 Disability Policy Seminar

/in /by The Arc

Are you joining us at the 2012 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC? If you haven’t made up your mind yet, here are some great reasons to register. We don’t want you to miss your single best opportunity to connect with the intellectual and developmental disability movement this year, but if you’re still on the fence, consider this:

Top Five Reasons to Attend the 2012 Disability Policy Seminar:

  1. Meet face-to-face with your elected representatives and take advantage of a unique opportunity to let them know in person what’s important to you and what they can do to earn your vote. On the third day of the seminar, we’ll visit Capitol Hill for scheduled meetings with Congressional representatives and their staff.
  2. Learn how to be an effective advocate, not just in Washington, but in your community once you return home. The information provided at the Disability Policy Seminar will give you a broader and better understanding of the role public policy plays in the day-to-day lives of people with I/DD and what you can do to create change. You can event attend a pre-event Seminar Trainee Orientation webinar hosted by AUCD.
  3. Make your mark on an important election. The focus of the Seminar is giving you the tools you need to educate elected officials and candidates running for office on I/DD community’s most crucial issues. The Seminar should inspire you to engage in the political process and give you the information you need to understand exactly how public policy impacts people with I/DD.
  4. Network. Meet with other from your state and across the country who share your passion. If you’re a self advocate or a sibling of someone with I/DD, attend special breakfast meet & greets to find out more about how you can get involved in The Arc’s new National Council of Self Advocates or our The Arc’s National Sibling Council.
  5. Visit Washington DC’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival! There’s no reason you can’t have a little fun while you’re here. Explore DC from your convenient downtown base at the Grand Hyatt where restaurants, entertainment, shopping, public transportation and the historic National Mall where the cherry blossoms bloom is close by.

Get the best rates and availability – special early registration rates until March 20. Get more information or register and book your room now at www.disabilitypolicyseminar.org.

The annual Disability Policy Seminar is hosted by: The Arc, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE).

Sponsored by Hammer Travel – a unique travel planning resource for people with disabilities. www.hammertravel.org.