The Arc logo

Chapter Volunteers Reduce Food Insecurity Through Community Service

/in /by The Arc

meals-on-wheels-volunteersBy Nancy Stubbs, Development Director, The Arc Nature Coast

On October 16th, we recognize World Food Day. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), 49 million people in the United States – including 16 million children, do not have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. Providing food assistance is one way that communities can help improve all people’s access to healthy food. Through funding from CNCS, The Arc helps 10 chapters around the country organize service projects that aid community members in need.

Our chapters partnered with local service clubs and hunger-focused groups (e.g., community food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens) on events around the 2016 and 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, and throughout the year to provide food assistance to community members who experience food insecurity. In the first year of funding, our chapters have recruited 690 volunteers who have contributed over 5,360 hours of service to feed over 9,833 people in need.

One such chapter, The Arc Nature Coast in Brooksville, Florida, addressed their lack of access to nutritious food by delivering local produce to nearby food banks, which typically serve canned and/or processed foods. First, The Arc Nature Coast met with local farmers to learn what fresh fruits and vegetables were in season. Next, The Arc Nature Coast partnered with the farmers to distribute fresh produce to 235 recipients at four different food banks. Additionally, The Arc Nature Coast partnered with their local Meals-on-Wheels program to deliver meals to senior citizens on a weekly basis.

Both projects enabled individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to work alongside farmers and volunteers. Feedback from volunteers with disabilities has been very positive, and suggests that participation had a positive effect on their self-esteem and feelings of inclusion. One volunteer stated, “They (recipients of Meals on Wheels) are counting on me to be there to bring them their food. They wouldn’t have food to eat if I didn’t help them.” Another added that, “it makes me feel good to help people.”

The Arc logo

A Conversation With Dr. Brian Armour About Oral Health of People With and Without Disabilities

/in /by The Arc

Patient - teeth checkBrian Armour, PhD is an economist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has spent over 15 years in health services research, including work on helping design the CDC Disability and Health Data. We asked Brian to discuss findings from the study he led, entitled “A Profile of State-level Differences in the Oral Health of People with and Without Disabilities, in the U.S., in 2004” (Armour BS, Swanson M, Waldman HB, Perlman SP. Public Health Rep. 2008 Jan-Feb;123(1):67-75).

Why did you want to study state-level differences in oral health of people with disabilities?

While there have been disability-specific studies about oral health, no state-level analysis of the oral health of people with disabilities was available. We wanted to assess the oral health of people with disabilities in each state.

Oral health is as important as other types of health care; and good oral health improves general health, self-esteem, communication, nutrition, and quality of life.

What did you discover?

In the year we observed, people with disabilities were less likely than people without disabilities to visit a dentist or dental clinic. They were more likely to have experienced tooth loss.

Our study showed very different results among states. People with disabilities from Mississippi were much less likely than people with disabilities in Connecticut to have visited the dentist or dental clinic in the last year. Only four percent of people with disabilities in the District of Columbia reported having tooth loss as opposed to almost 19 percent of people with disabilities in Kentucky.

What does this mean for people with disabilities and their families?

It is important for everyone, especially for people with disabilities, to practice good oral health habits, like brushing their teeth regularly and flossing. People who need help finding good oral health habits can visit the “Oral Health” section of the CDC website.

Sometimes, people with disabilities – particularly intellectual or developmental disabilities – need assistance from their families and caregivers to help them practice good oral health. If caregivers need tips on how to promote good oral heath, they can check out “Dental Care Every Day: A Caregiver’s Guide” from the National Institute on Health.

The Arc logo

A Conversation With Brian Armour About Disability Prevalence Among Healthy Weight, Overweight, and Obese Adults

/in /by The Arc

Patient-assessors-weist-measure

Brian Armour, PhD is an economist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has spent over 15 years in health services research, including work on helping design the CDC Disability and Health Data System. We asked Brian to discuss findings from the study he led, entitled “Estimating Disability Prevalence Among Adults by Body Mass Index: 2003–2009 National Health Interview Survey” (Armour BS, Courtney-Long E, Campbell VA, Wethington HR. Prev Chronic Dis. 2012; 9: E178. Published online 2012 December 27).

In your article, you assess the number of people who are obese, overweight, or healthy weight and who report having a disability. Why do you think it is important to look at whether people who have weight issues also have disabilities?

This information can help public health programs better recognize the need to design obesity prevention and treatment programs that are inclusive of people with disabilities.

What did you find out?

We found that 41 percent of US adults who are obese also reported having a disability. We also found out that mobility limitation was one of the most frequently reported types of disability among people who are obese.

What does this mean for public health programs?

Public health programs should be considering the needs of those with disabilities when designing their obesity prevention and treatment programs. There are many resources public health organizations can use to help make sure that they are thinking of the needs of people with disabilities. Two good resources include the “Disability Inclusion” section on the CDC’s website as well as the Inclusive Community Health Implementation Package (iChip) program run by the National Center on Health and Physical Activity for People with Disabilities (NCHPAD).

Do you have any recommendations for people with disabilities on how to maintain their weight and avoid becoming obese?

Everyone is different, but it is important that we all are physically active, eat better, and talk to a doctor when not feeling well! People who need help keeping a healthy weight can check out the “Healthy Weight” section of the CDC website for tools to use to help maintain a healthy weight.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Identifying health issues that people with disabilities experience is important, but we also need to help improve the health of people with disabilities by promoting inclusion. This means making sure that people with disabilities are included in all aspects of community life—in our gyms, healthy eating programs, walking paths, transportation and more.

The Arc logo

Financial Capability Creates Independence

/in /by The Arc

By Robin Shaffert, Senior Executive Officer, Individual & Family Support, The Arc

One of the four goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act is economic self-sufficiency. Yet, far too many people with disabilities continue to live in poverty. In 2015, the poverty rate for working aged individuals (16 – 64) with disabilities was 28.5%, compared to a poverty rate of people without disabilities of 12.4%; the poverty rates for children with disabilities are also disproportionately high.

There is no single reason for this high rate of poverty. Similarly, there is no single change that will end poverty for people with disabilities. Employment rates are far too low, and often many people with disabilities who are employed are under-employed in low paying jobs. Many people with disabilities rely on means-tested benefits to finance their supports and services. In fact, the very income and asset eligibility requirement of these benefit programs limit beneficiaries’ ability to earn income and build assets. The passage last year of the Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act provides the first opportunity for people with disabilities to build assets without jeopardizing their benefits from means-tested programs.

Disability-related expenses often create an additional financial burden. In families that have a child with disabilities, parents often reduce their work hours or leave the workforce altogether to care for their child with a disability, resulting in lower family income. More states and localities are enacting paid sick days and paid family leave laws, and more employers are incorporating policies that enable increased workplace flexibility. Each of these efforts should contribute to lowering the poverty rate for people with disabilities and their families.

Proclaiming April 2016 as National Financial Capability Month, President Obama reminded us, “When every American has the tools they need to get ahead and contribute to our country’s success, we are all better off. . . . Ensuring people have the resources to make informed decisions about their finances is critical in this effort, and during National Financial Capability Month, we recommit to equipping individuals with the knowledge and protections necessary to secure a stable financial future for themselves and their families.”

Financial literacy is a critical tool in this fight to reduce poverty in the disability community. Developing financial capability skills should be a goal for young people with disabilities throughout their school years. In the early years, all children should be taught basic concepts related to math and money and should begin to develop decision-making skills. As they grow, the lessons should become more complex to move them towards financial independence. An important way we can support families is to not only guide parents of children with disabilities through the public benefit system but to also help them build skills to stabilize the family’s financial situation.

The Arc and our partners in the disability community are working tirelessly to increase employment and income of people with disabilities. For adults with disabilities, increasing financial capability is an important part of planning for a good and independent life in the community. For more information about creating a plan to Finance the Future, visit The Arc’s Center for Future Planning.

The Arc logo

Vote!

/in , /by The Arc

“Vote as if your life depends on it,” Justin Dart, Jr., the disability rights pioneer often known as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act, implored us, “Because it does.”

Our core values call us to focus on voting during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in this critical election year. The Arc’s core value of community underscores that “people with intellectual and developmental disabilities . . . have fundamental moral, civil and constitutional rights to be fully included and actively participate in all aspects of society.” Our core value of self-determination provides, “People with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with appropriate resources and supports, can make decisions about their own lives and must be heard on issues that affect their well-being.”

Voting is the most fundamental civil right. By exercising the right to vote, people have a say in how our democracy moves forward. As we advocate together for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our communities, people with disabilities must have an equal say in how our society operates. Through voting, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) exercise that voice equally with all members of their communities.

By advocating on the issues they care about and supporting candidates who will fight for their agendas, people with IDD exercise their right to self-determination. The disability community gains power by showing candidates that it will support those who advocate with us.

Unfortunately, some – but not all – states automatically deprive people with disabilities who are under guardianship of the right to vote. In other states, people with IDD with guardians retain the right to vote unless a court specifically finds the person ineligible to vote. Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) provides guidance on knowing your right to vote if you have a guardian: https://www.sabeusa.org/voting-and-guardianship/. Voting is a core civil right, and people with disabilities should not automatically lose that right if they are under guardianship. We must fight to change these laws.

The implications of guardianship are far reaching. It has long been The Arc’s position that most people with IDD can manage their own affairs with assistance and guidance from others, and that if guardianship is necessary it should be limited and tailored. Before considering guardianship, people with IDD and their families should explore the many less restrictive ways that people with IDD can receive support to make decisions. The individual and his or her family should understand all of the implications of limiting the person’s autonomy and transferring his or her rights to a guardian, including the possibility that the person will be deprived of the right to vote. For more information on informal and formal ways to support people with IDD to make their own decisions, visit The Arc’s Center for Future Planning: https://futureplanning.thearc.org/pages/learn/where-to-start/supporting-daily-and-major-life-decisions.

Even if a person has been deprived of the right to vote, he or she can still actively participate during this election season by supporting candidates and advocating on issues. Let’s make sure the voices of people with IDD are heard and that the candidates understand our messages. And, let’s fight to change laws that deprive people with IDD of their civil rights.

The Arc logo

Munch Into March: It’s National Nutrition Month!

/in /by The Arc

March is National Nutrition Month and balanced nutritious eating habits are the corner stone of a healthy and happy life. However, according to a 2014 Disability Scoop article people with disabilities may be slipping below the daily nutritional recommendations. It is difficult to know exactly why, but it may be due to a combination of things, such as how different medications a person takes interacts with one another. People with disabilities may also struggle to afford healthy foods.

According to the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), even finding accurate information on nutrition and disability can be a real challenge because each person metabolizes foods differently based upon their genes, medications they take, and any medical conditions they have. So, it is very difficult to make nutritional recommendations that apply to everyone. There are some things that you, as a caregiver, or someone you care for can do to adapt healthy eating habits.

  • Familiarize yourself with nutritional risks and signs of poor nutrition and then find ways to deal with them.
  • Check out this resource from NCHPAD to find ways to adapt healthy eating practices, such as focusing on eating different types and quantities of foods in each meal. Healthy eating patterns also include cutting back on foods with excess sugars and saturated fats, as well as eating less salty foods.
  • Visit Self-Advocacy Online’s Healthy Plate This training, which was developed with input from people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), uses instructional videos and learning exercises to help people with IDD learn how to eat healthier.
  • Learn about MyPlate. This resource, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, aims to build healthy eating habits through the lifetime by offering ideas and tips to help you create a healthier eating style that meets your individual needs.
  • Watch two recorded webinars 1) What’s For Dinner? Planning for Success in Healthy Eating and 2) Putting Nutrition on Your Radar for suggestions on how to improve healthy eating habits for people with IDD.
  • Check out this video series from NCHPAD to learn how to think creatively when trying to stick to nutritional guidelines or special diets.

Remember, eating healthier doesn’t happen all in one day, but making small changes over time can make a big difference in improving overall health.

The Arc logo

Chapters Commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service and Improve Disability Inclusion Across America

/in /by The Arc

Many of our chapters spent the past two months executing service projects made possible by a grant from The Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that leads national Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Many perceive people with disabilities as the ones in need of service – but in reality, they are often a part of civic engagement at the state, local, and national level. Chapters executed great projects, including food drives and food delivery events. Check out our new Facebook album or each chapter’s Facebook page below for highlights and pictures from each event. Thank you for participating in this wonderful opportunity with us!

  • TARC: Our local chapter in Tulsa, Oklahoma, kicked off their MLK Day of Service at a University of Tulsa basketball game. Volunteers with developmental disabilities from TARC worked with university students to accept canned food donation and transport food to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. In February, volunteers from the chapter also packaged food at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma; served meals at the Kendall Whittier Elementary School; and conducted a month-long food drive at the University of Tulsa and at the True Blue Neighbors office.
  • The Arc Big Bend: On February 15th, this Madison, Florida, chapter hosted a “free lunch” for 250 people who experience food insecurity at a local park. Volunteers with and without disabilities from the local Kiwanis club, Aktion Club, local health department, and nursing school hosted a variety of activities, including free health screenings, fire rescue demonstrations, and performances from a local boys choir.
  • The Arc of Greater Twin Cities: Our Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, chapter worked with Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank to deliver emergency food aid to at least 180 people in need. During the weekend before MLK Day, thrift stores operated by The Arc of Greater Twin Cities engaged volunteers to work at their thrift stores to collect canned food and sort clothing to be sold (the proceeds of which supported the work of The Arc of the Greater Twin Cities).
  • The Arc of the Glades: The Arc of The Glades in Belle Glade, Florida, began a joint adventure with The Church of The Harvest and Lighthouse Food Pantry to help provide food to those in need in our local community. As of February 10th, 40 volunteers with and without disabilities have given 385 hours of their time, served 2,468 meals, and distributed 5,686 bags of food to those in need.
  • The Arc of Luzerne County: Our chapter in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, partnered with the Wilkes Barre Kiwanis and Pittston Rotary Club to box food for over 150 low-income seniors at the Commission on Economic Opportunity, a local community organization that serves people suffering from poverty on MLK Day. Since this initial event, volunteers with disabilities have been serving in the kitchen at the Commission on Economic Opportunity to help prepare 800-1000 lunches daily for low-income children in the area.
  • The Arc Nature Coast: Throughout February, volunteers with and without disabilities in Brooksville, Florida, delivered and distributed fresh fruits and veggies to nearly 300 families at four food banks in the community.
  • The Arc of the Midlands: Working with community partners, this South Carolina chapter fed close to 200 people at an event that included live music, a basketball scrimmage, and special guests including state representative Chip Huggins and Indianapolis Colts football player Kelcy Quarles.
  • The Arc of Virginia: On February 19th, volunteers and chapter staff assembled 230 meals for distribution to people in Richmond who experience food insecurity. This effort was supported by Virginia Delegate Kaye Kory, members of the Virginia General Assembly, and assembly staff.
  • The Arc of Walton County: The Arc of Walton County partnered with their local Anchor Club and The Matrix Community Outreach Center to provide food to those in need in northwest Florida.
  • Genesee Arc: This New York chapter supported volunteers with and without disabilities to conduct food drives throughout the month at twelve different community locations. The food collected was donated to 200 children in need at the United Way of Genesee County’s Backpack Program, which provides food to school-age children who experience food insecurity on the weekends.
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

The Arc Awarded National Grant to Engage in Martin Luther King Jr. National Service Day Activities

/in /by The Arc

WASHINGTON, DC – The federal agency that leads national Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), has selected The Arc and five other organizations as grantees to plan and execute volunteer projects that will unite Americans in service. The 2016 MLK Day of Service will take place on Monday, January 18, and The Arc, through select chapters, will be involved in service events throughout January where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) will volunteer alongside people without disabilities in an activity related to access to healthy food.

“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have so much to offer their communities, and this day of service opportunity provides them the chance to give back. Many perceive people with disabilities as the ones in need of service – but in reality, they are often a part of civic engagement at the state, local, and national level. Being a part of this national community service day will shine a spotlight on what people with disabilities offer in their community,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans participate in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, the nation’s largest day of civic engagement. In 1994, Congress designated MLK Day as the first and only federal holiday observed as a national day of service, and charged CNCS with leading this effort.

Each project will serve a community that has seen an increase in unemployment and the number of children living in poverty over the past 5 years. Food security, especially healthy food for children, is a concern for these communities. Each chapter of The Arc will partner with a local service club to carry out activities.

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.

The Arc logo

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!