People with disabilities have often been invisible members of our community—in the shadows, forgotten by some, ignored by others.

John was one of the individuals.John lived in a nursing home for eight months when he should have been in rehab for back surgery. He was then moved to a group home and lived there for one year. John didn’t need to be in a group home and didn’t want to be there. Because of the work of The Arc Minnesota and our partners, housing legislation was passed in 2007, and John now lives in a place of his own.

For sixty years, The Arc Minnesota has brought people out of the shadows. We protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and ensure they are full, participating members in our communities throughout their lives.

The Arc movement began in Minnesota at a time when people with developmental disabilities lived in institutions, where their care was substandard and their treatment in-humane, and they were isolated from society.

Since then, support for Minnesotans with disabilities has improved dramatically. People with disabilities now live, learn, work, and play in our communities alongside their non-disabled peers and are reared at home with their families.

The Arc Minnesotahas been at the forefront in creating those changes for the better. Threats to this progress remain,so they must continue their work on several fronts. We are active in public policy—testifying at the Capitol,  meeting with legislators, partnering with other agencies, activating citizens  to share their stories, communicating  through the media, and tracking legislation and regulations.

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We touch lives not only through public policy, but through personal contacts as well.

• Our Housing Access Services (HAS) staff have helped more than 350 people with disabilities move into homes of their own. HAS is a partnership with Minnesota’s Department of Human Services and our affiliated chapters across Minnesota.

 

•  Staff in our Master Pooled Trust Program work with individuals with disabilities and their families so these individuals have a stable source of funding that meets their needs once loved ones can no longer care for them.

 

• Our local affiliated chapters work with individuals with disabilities and their families daily, connecting them with local resources, providing them with timely information, and standing with them when they need an advocate.

 

For more information, go to www.arcmn.org  or www.facebook.com/arcmn