The Arc is the largest organization in the country advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including Down syndrome. We have a rich 60 year history of advocacy and grassroots organizing that continues today through our nearly 700 state and local chapters nationwide. Our mission has always been to promote and protect the human rights of people with I/DD and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.
At the national headquarters in Washington, DC, we currently maintain 9 national programs that are actively changing lives in our community. We also host annual events that bring together families, self-advocates, and professionals to share ideas, inspiration and resources, and we work to support our chapters to advocate at the federal and state level and provide services to their communities at the local level.
Justice is something of a hot topic lately. News reports of another person with a disability being mistreated or lost in the system seem to appear daily. One organization that focuses solely on finding justice for our loved ones is the National Center on Criminal Justice & Disability (NCCJD).
Americans with disabilities are victims of violent crimes at nearly three times the rate of their peers.
~ David Perry – The Atlantic
Why do police keep seeing a person’s disability as a provocation? Cops keep wrongfully killing the intellectually or psychiatrically impaired. ~ Harold Braswell – Washington Post
One great example of how the community comes together for the greater good is the collaboration that has happened to create the Down syndrome registry. The funding comes from NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), but ongoing input comes from parents, families, and representatives from every corner of the Ds world.
The options include women’s, men’s, kids, teens, pants, shorts, capris and more. The pants are zipperless and the taioring keeps in mind the unique body shapes of those with Down syndrome. In short, I recommend checking them out.
- Mardra Grown Ups and Downs
When you first step foot on a cruise ship you are given a guide to that day’s activities.
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If you’ve been following our recent posts about sheltered workshops and jobs you’ll know that the stars have aligned in such a way that all three of the team members here actually agree on something – that the bottom line when it comes to what we want for our children and community is MORE CHOICES.
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There are so many ways in which personal choice is affected in situations that involve decisions to use services that are designed specifically for children and adults with intellectual / developmental disabilities. It is a very personal choice and one that (I dare say) most parents don’t take lightly. I know that I have struggled with this ever since my son was born. The decision to fight for what amounted to forced inclusion in school, whether to use respite care providers rather than general daycare, segregated overnight / summer camps, and yes, Special Olympics were each cause for heated debates with myself (as a single parent).
In later years, Josh made his own preferences clear. We tried a segregated overnight camp when he was around 20 years old. When I asked if he had fun he said “Yes!” When I asked if he wanted to go back the next summer he said, “Next time I want to go with the regular kids.” It’s heartbreaking for me to think my son has an ounce of prejudice in him, but in this case, I believe what he was trying to communicate was not really discrimination against his peers but a realization that it was a “special” camp. He had a similar reaction to Special Olympics. Even though he enjoyed the activity (soccer) and that he was participating with one of his friends, he didn’t like that all the other athletes had trouble communicating or understanding him.
He didn’t feel comfortable. That is what drives my decision not to participate in some segregated activities – not my personal feelings about the theory of inclusion. I know many families who love and enjoy their experiences with Special Olympics, and depend on the availability of ‘sheltered’ work experiences for their loved ones. I would NEVER even think of passing judgment on the choices they make for their family. All I have to do is browse Facebook and Twitter to see the smiles of adults that I’ve come to love (and total strangers) to understand and appreciate the benefits of programs designed for our children.
