Arc of the United States
{{Short description|American disability organization}}
The Arc of the United States is an organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization was founded in the 1950s by parents of people with developmental disabilities. Since then, the organization has established state chapters in 39 states, and 730 local chapters in states across the country. The Arc of the United States is based in Washington, D.C.
Work
The organization advocates for disabled people and helps them with issues like finding jobs, and helping employers adapt to the needs of disabled people.{{cite news |title=Willing and ready to work |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/05/12/EDGJ6CN3C01.DTL |work=San Francisco Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Communications |date=2005-05-12 |access-date=18 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427185541/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/05/12/EDGJ6CN3C01.DTL |archive-date=27 April 2006 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}
According to financial statements submitted to the IRS, the organization's 2019 income was $9.8 million. Its end of year assets were reported to be $13.4 million.{{Cite web|last=ProPublica|first=Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Ken Schwencke, Brandon Roberts, Alec Glassford|title=THE ARC OF THE UNITED STATES - Form Form 990 for period ending Dec 2019 - Nonprofit Explorer|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/135642032/02_2021_prefixes_11-13/135642032_201912_990_2021022217734816|access-date=2021-05-19|website=ProPublica|date=9 May 2013|language=en}} Major sources of income are charitable donations; dues for membership in local and state chapters; and government grants, contracts, and fees.
The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability deals with the unique misunderstandings that can happen on all sides.{{Cite web |title=Disability in the Criminal Justice System |url=https://thearc.org/our-initiatives/criminal-justice/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=The Arc |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=The Arc. Joint statement with the AAIDD |first= |date=2021 |title=Criminal Justice System Position Statement |url=https://thearc.org/position-statements/criminal-justice-system/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=The Arc |language=en-US}}
History
The first organization of families was the Children's Benevolent League, incorporated in 1936 in the state of Washington.{{Cite book|title=Doing Disability Justice|last=Jones|first=Larry|publisher=lulu.com|year=2010|isbn=978-0-557-55238-2}} The San Francisco chapter was founded in 1951.{{cite book |title=Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to And Living in the San Francisco Bay Area: Including San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, And Palo Alto |last=Crawford |first=Sabrina |year=2006 |publisher=First Book |location=New York |isbn=0-912301-63-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newcomershandboo00sabr/page/274 274] |url=https://archive.org/details/newcomershandboo00sabr |url-access=registration |quote=Arc of San Francisco. }}{{cite web|url=http://www.dds.ca.gov/AH/CoalitionsAgencies.cfm |title=Affordable Housing Coalitions and Agencies |work=California Department of Developmental Services |publisher=California Health and Human Services Agency |date=2007-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411015616/http://www.dds.ca.gov/AH/CoalitionsAgencies.cfm |archive-date=2009-04-11 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|first=Matt |last=Smith |title=A Walk in the Park |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-03-14/news/a-walk-in-the-park/1/addComment |work=SF Weekly |publisher=Village Voice Media |date=2007-03-13 |access-date=18 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610113235/http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-03-14/news/a-walk-in-the-park/1/addComment/ |archive-date=2011-06-10 |url-status=live }}
From 1953 to 1973 the organization was called the National Association for Retarded Children, adopting the mantle of the New York-based NYSARC. File:John F. Kennedy´s Address to the National Association for Retarded Children.jpg addressing the NARC in 1963.]]
File:Meeting with 1972 Poster Child of the National Association for Retarded Children - NARA - 194760.tif meeting with the 1972 poster child of the NARC.]]
From 1973 to 1981, the name was changed to the "National Association for Retarded Citizens". From 1981 to 1992 that was changed to "Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States". The Arc assumed its present name in 1992, recognising the pejorative nature of the word "retarded".{{cite web |title=History of The Arc |url=https://thearc.org/about-us/history/ |website=The Arc |access-date=20 August 2019}}
In the 1980s the Arc condemned the use of physical punishment to modify behavior in people with disabilities.{{Cite web|title=3 Nov 1985, 3 - Casper Star-Tribune at Newspapers.com|url=http://newspapers.com/image/349101473/?terms=%22Matthew%20Israel%22&match=1|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Newspapers.com|language=en}}
In 2008, the Arc was among a group of disability organizations, including the Special Olympics and the National Down Syndrome Congress, which called for a boycott of the film Tropic Thunder, partly due to the way it used the word "retard".{{Cite web |last=ABC News |first= |title=Stiller's 'Thunder' Under Fire From Disability Groups |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=5560702&page=1 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=ABC News |language=en}}
In 2021, Berkshire County Arc management and board were found to have misused state funds on company building projects and personal credit cards, which the CEO said resulted in organizational changes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2021/05/audit-finds-berkshire-agency-which-serves-the-disabled-misspent-more-than-777000-in-state-money.html|title=Audit finds Berkshire agency which serves the disabled misspent more than $777,000 in state money|date=26 May 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Eagle |first=Tony Dobrowolski, The Berkshire |date=2023-04-07 |title=Maryann Hyatt found her career in a nontraditional way. It's led her to become the president and CEO of Berkshire County Arc |url=https://www.berkshireeagle.com/business/maryann-hyatt-nontraditional-career-president-and-ceo-of-berkshire-county-arc/article_4c962d80-d249-11ed-ad34-3bb32114ca41.html |access-date=2023-09-01 |website=The Berkshire Eagle |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Office of the State Auditor |date=May 25, 2021 |title=Audit of the Berkshire County Arc, Inc. (BCArc) |url=https://www.mass.gov/audit/audit-of-the-berkshire-county-arc-inc-bcarc}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.thearc.org The Arc of the United States]
- [https://www.forbes.com/companies/the-arc-of-the-united-states/ Forbes: Company Overviews: The Arc of the United States]
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Category:Disability organizations based in the United States
Category:Disability law advocacy groups in the United States
Category:Disability in Washington, D.C.
Category:501(c)(3) organizations
Category:Charities based in Washington, D.C.