Inclusion across a lifetime.
Every year we celebrate March as national Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and this year The Arc is calling on all of our chapters and members to join us in Revealing the Faces of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. We are encouraging everyone to raise awareness about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) by personalizing the narrative. We cannot let DD Awareness month become a symbolic gesture – it’s about people’s lives, including yours!
How can you participate in revealing the faces of I/DD and promote inclusion over a lifetime?
- Utilize this month as the perfect time to bring awareness and promote inclusion by updating your statuses on Facebook and Twitter with examples of inclusive programs and services available in your community. Remember to use #DDAware
- If you have school aged children, host an inclusive playdate. Contact your local recreation leagues to arrange a fun sports day or fun walk. Get together with other parents and participate in group activities.
- Plan an outing to the movies. Check for upcoming show times of sensory friendly films at your local theaters and organize with your local chapter of The Arc or other parents and caregivers to have a group trip to the movies.
- Connect your place of employment with your local chapter of The Arc to create an internship program for people with I/DD. Nearly 88% of people with I/DD are unemployed- that is unacceptable! We must cultivate new avenues and employment opportunities for people with I/DD. Your organization’s internship program could be the solution for your community!
March doesn’t have to be the only time of the year you celebrate and promote DD Awareness, but it can be a great place to start! The Arc works year round to promote and protect the rights of people with I/DD to live and work as important and productive members of society. We have fought for legislation to remove barriers to inclusion and while we have been successful, we must keep fighting. So now is the time to get your local members, advocates, supporters, and community members to sign up for The Arc’s action e-list to stay informed on critical public policy issues and to take action when it counts to influence how the lifeline programs we rely on – Medicaid, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and more – are protected.
Join the movement and sign up for The Arc’s Action list