Fighting for the Rights of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
For nearly 70 years, The Arc has been at the forefront of the fight for the civil rights and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families, playing a lead role in major victories in civil rights, community living, education, income security, and other important issues.
We have fought to close institutions and make life in the community possible, we have opened the school doors for students with disabilities to be included in the classroom alongside peers without disabilities, and we have advocated for affordable health care access. We are at the table for every major public policy fight and advancement impacting the lives of people with disabilities. We still have work to do, but we know we can succeed with strong federal policy advocates working hand in hand with grassroots activists like you.
Our Policy Work in Action
Browse our analysis and latest actions on emerging policies, friend of the court briefs, letters to Members of Congress and more to see how The Arc is shaping policy to build a better future.
Policy Topics
Learn about the top issues we focus on in our fight for the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Link to: Civil Rights
Civil Rights
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Link to: Community-Based Long Term Supports and Services
Community-Based Long Term Supports & Services
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Link to: Direct Support Professionals
Direct Support Professionals
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Link to: Education Policy & Advocacy
Education
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Link to: Employment, Training, and Wages
Employment, Training,
& Wages
& Wages
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Link to: Health Care
Health Care
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Link to: Housing
Housing
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Link to: Medicaid
Medicaid
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Link to: Paid Family and Medical Leave
Paid Family &
Medical Leave
Medical Leave
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Link to: Social Security and Income Maintenance
Social Security &
Income Maintenance
Income Maintenance
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Link to: Grassroots
Grassroots Advocacy
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Link to: Public Policy Goals
Public Policy Goals
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Link to: Legal Advocacy
Legal Advocacy
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Grassroots Action
You lead, with the power of our national movement behind you.
Join The Arc as we build a larger, stronger movement of people with disabilities, parents, siblings, and allies to advocate for our civil rights.
Our Public Policy Goals
Federal public policy is critical to ensuring that people with IDD can live fully inclusive and productive lives in the community. For decades, we have been a constant presence on Capitol Hill, spurring Congress to continue taking important steps to affirm and secure the right of people with disabilities. Now is not the time to lose momentum!
Legal Advocacy
Throughout its history, The Arc has fought tooth and nail to establish, expand, and maintain critical federal disability rights laws and programs that make community living possible for people with IDD. Legal advocacy is a vital way to ensure the full promise of these hard won victories are realized to the fullest extent of the law in jurisdictions around the country. Through litigation, The Arc participates in cases to advance the rights of our constituents nationwide in all aspects of life in line with our public policy work and position statements.
Our Position Statements
Position statements are used to inform The Arc’s public policy goals, as well as to provide the national platform of positions of The Arc for use by chapters at all levels of The Arc in its work – national, state, and local. The statements also serve to inform our constituency, stakeholders, media, and the general public on the prevailing organizational view on key issues.
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.
