Arc of the United States

Program innovation: The Arc is constantly striving to improve The quality of life for people with idd and their families, including by promoting The development of best practices in programs, services and supports for people with idd. The Arc's special projects advance The field of programs, services and supports for people with idd and their families as follows: The Arc's down syndrome new mexico fund provided for The education, care and support of people with down syndrome in that state. The [email protected] program supported people with idd who are unemployed to find and retain jobs with private, government and nonprofit sector employers and educated and supported employers to increase hiring of people with disabilities. The national center on criminal justice and disability worked to educate law enforcement, court and corrections personnel to accommodate The needs of people with idd in The criminal justice system. The wings for autism/wings for all project provided an airport travel simulation for children with an autism spectrum disorder or other disabilities and their families. The center for future planning provided an online resource center to assist adults with idd and their families to plan for their future needs, and to provide resources for chapters of The Arc to support them. The Arc's tech programs provide online resources to assist people with idd and their families to access The latest technology to support their living in The community. The inclusivevolunteerism project engaged people with idd in volunteerism and community service at 10 sites across The nation. The [email protected] program provides resources and information to families to support students with idd to obtain The services they need to be successful in school. Various of these program activities were converted to online formats due to The covid-19 pandemic.

Chapter leadership, volunteer & professional development: The Arc supported a network of over 600 affiliated state and local chapters that advocated on behalf of, and provided services and supports for people with idd and their families. The Arc promoted best practices in nonprofit governance and management of nonprofits by promoting an ethics and accountability code - standards for excellence - for chapters to use to benchmark their operations and by providing extensive educational resources to support improvement. The Arc provided guidance in The areas of governance, program planning and evaluation, financial management, human resources management, transparency and accountability, fundraising and more. The Arc also promoted best practices in programs, services and supports for people with idd. The Arc kept chapters informed of critical information and developments in The field, including in subject areas such as early intervention, integrated education, transition, supported employment, supported and independent living, health care, financial planning and recreation and community service. Support was provided to board members, executive directors and other volunteers and staff of The affiliated chapters through a bi-weekly email newsletter (fusion), periodic audio conferences for chapter leaders, periodic webinars, an annual leadership institute, a national convention, written educational materials, email discussion groups, extensive content available online, and one-to-one technical assistance via telephone and email. Due to The covid-19 pandemic, many of The educational programs previously conducted in-person were switched to online formats. In addition, The Arc produced new programming to support people with idd, their families, direct support workers and our chapters to manage The challenges presented by The pandemic.the Arc provided technical assistance and support to individuals with disabilities, their family members and friends to organize new chapters of The Arc, and to strengthen and stabilize existing chapters, so that they may effectively advocate on behalf of and serve their constituents at The state and local level. The Arc also promoted information sharing and exchange of ideas among and between all of our chapters.

Public policy: The Arc advocated to promote and protect The civil rights and human rights of people with idd and for funding and support for The programs, services and supports that enable them to be fully included in all aspects of community life. The Arc monitored developments in federal public policy, including legislation, regulations, administrative actions, litigation and judicial decisions, of importance to people with idd and their families. The Arc regularly informed chapter leaders, government officials, The media, leaders of other nonprofits and other interested parties of developments in The field through a weekly email newsletter, periodic special reports and alerts and content posted to The Arc's website. Educational and advocacy activities focused on The unique circumstances and challenges resulting from The covid-19 pandemic across a broad range of topics, such as health care, education, employment, civil rights, criminal justice, housing and more. The Arc also regularly educated and informed elected and appointed government officials about The needs, interests and concerns of people with idd and their families and about The likely impact of policy proposals. Input was provided to congress, The administration, government agencies and officials through written correspondence, oral and written testimony and face-to-face meetings. The Arc also participated in, and provided leadership for, a number of formal and informal coalitions and collaborations involved in related efforts.