By Poet and Speaker Russell Lehmann I grew up in the Seattle area. I wasn’t diagnosed [with autism] until I was 12, even though I struggled from the day I came out of my mother’s womb, because we couldn’t find a competent doctor. I was struggling with severe OCD and panic attacks that consumed my […]
The post I Turn My Suffering Into Art To Tell Others How Far I’ve Come, so They Know They Can Do It Too appeared first on The Arc.

My name is Yusuf and I’m 10 years old. I am in 5th grade. I like to play hockey, write blogs, and make videos for fun. I am hoping to create a YouTube channel soon. I like school so far and one of my favorite subjects is math. Something I am proud of is playing […]
The post Meet Yusuf, A 10-Year-Old With Autism and Big Dreams! appeared first on The Arc.

“We’ve spent most of her life waiting for the help we need, for the wellbeing of our family.” Soojung teaches middle school math and has three wonderful children. Her middle child, Alice, has Rett Syndrome, and has severe seizures, scoliosis, and uses a G-tube for nutrition, fluids, and medications. Alice has had many major and […]
The post Alice and Soojung’s Story appeared first on The Arc.

By Evelyn Baron, written in 1991 In 1964, at age 40, I was happily married for 17 years and the mother of three children—a daughter, 14, and sons, seven and 10. With all three children in school, I decided to enter college to fulfill a lifelong dream. Shortly after I started, I found out I […]
The post When Bruce Entered My Life appeared first on The Arc.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule finally updating the eligibility and enrollment processes for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This is welcome news to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families, who navigate a complicated bureaucracy to access the health and community-based services they […]
The post The Arc Applauds New Effort to Reduce Red Tape in Medicaid and Other Federal Health Programs appeared first on The Arc.

“Nothing about us without us” is a theme of the disability community, reminding the world that people with disabilities expect and deserve autonomy over their lives. This includes actively participating in the organizational structures that advocate for and with people with disabilities. With this guiding principle in mind, The Arc established its National Council of […]
The post Guiding The Arc Through Lived Experience With Disability appeared first on The Arc.

Washington, DC— With the current moratorium on student loan payments set to expire at the end of this month, the Department of Education and the White House have announced a new plan to tackle student loan debt for millions of borrowers across the country. These new changes will help millions of people with disabilities, if […]
The post The Arc Applauds Federal Student Loan Debt Relief Plan appeared first on The Arc.

WASHINGTON, DC – Following the U.S. Senate’s vote today on the Inflation Reduction Act, people with disabilities, their support staff, and families will continue to fight for desperately needed resources for the home and community-based services system that has been strained to the breaking point throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the budget reconciliation process, The […]
The post Senate Leaves Out of Reconciliation Bill a Badly Needed Investment in Disability Services appeared first on The Arc.

“I would love to see the day where everybody can stand on the mountain top and say ‘this is who I am and I am proud of it.’” – Shannon Mattox, State Director of The Arc Georgia Limbric Mattox is brilliantly unique. That’s how his mother proudly describes him. “He’s unique in his own ways,” […]
The post Everyone’s Uniqueness Should Shine appeared first on The Arc.

When you are young, recess signals a break from the drudge of work. It is a welcome chance at a bit of freedom to play and escape the school day. But when you are a member of Congress, recess takes on an entirely different meaning – one that is important for disability advocates to know. […]
The post All About Congressional August Recess appeared first on The Arc.