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 (I/DD) 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.
Policy Topics
Learn about the top issues we focus on in our fight for the civil rights of people with disabilities.
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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Direct Support Professionals
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Education
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Employment, Training,
& Wages
& Wages
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Health Care
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Housing
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Medicaid
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Paid Family &
Medical Leave
Medical Leave
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Social Security &
Income Maintenance
Income Maintenance
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Grassroots Advocacy
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Public Policy Goals
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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 I/DD 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 I/DD. 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.
We stand united with The Arc of Massachusetts and The Arc's national movement to enhance the human and civil rights of all persons with disabilities.