Arc of the United States

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.[1] Since then, the organization has established state chapters in 39 states, and 730 local chapters in states across the country.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4] Major sources of income are charitable donations; dues for membership in local and state chapters; and government grants, contracts, and fees.[5]

The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability deals with the unique misunderstandings that can happen on all sides.[6][7]

History

The first organization of families was the Children's Benevolent League, incorporated in 1936 in the state of Washington.[8] The San Francisco chapter was founded in 1951.[9][10][11]

From 1953 to 1973 the organization was called the National Association for Retarded Children.

President John F. Kennedy addressing the NARC in 1963.
President Richard Nixon 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".[12][13]

In the 1980s the Arc condemned the use of physical punishment to modify behavior in people with disabilities.[14]

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".[15][16]

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.[17][18][19]

References

  1. ^ "History". The Arc of the United States. 2011.
  2. ^ "Who We Are". The Arc of the United States. 2011.
  3. ^ "Willing and ready to work". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. 12 May 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  4. ^ ProPublica, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Ken Schwencke, Brandon Roberts, Alec Glassford (9 May 2013). "THE ARC OF THE UNITED STATES - Form Form 990 for period ending Dec 2019 - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 2021-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "IRS Form 990: Report of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". The Arc of the United States. Archived from the original on 2008-11-26.
  6. ^ "Disability in the Criminal Justice System". The Arc. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  7. ^ The Arc. Joint statement with the AAIDD (2021). "Criminal Justice System Position Statement". The Arc. Retrieved 2024-09-11. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ Jones, Larry (2010). Doing Disability Justice. lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-557-55238-2.
  9. ^ Crawford, Sabrina (2006). Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to And Living in the San Francisco Bay Area: Including San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, And Palo Alto. New York: First Book. p. 274. ISBN 0-912301-63-5. Arc of San Francisco.
  10. ^ "Affordable Housing Coalitions and Agencies". California Department of Developmental Services. California Health and Human Services Agency. 2007-11-01. Archived from the original on 2009-04-11.
  11. ^ Smith, Matt (2007-03-13). "A Walk in the Park". SF Weekly. Village Voice Media. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  12. ^ "History of The Arc". The Arc. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  13. ^ "The Arc's Name Changes Throughout Its History". 2011.
  14. ^ "3 Nov 1985, 3 - Casper Star-Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  15. ^ Cieply, Michael (August 11, 2008). "Groups Call for Boycott of 'Tropic Thunder' Film". The New York Times.
  16. ^ ABC News. "Stiller's 'Thunder' Under Fire From Disability Groups". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  17. ^ "Audit finds Berkshire agency which serves the disabled misspent more than $777,000 in state money". 26 May 2021.
  18. ^ Eagle, Tony Dobrowolski, The Berkshire (2023-04-07). "Maryann Hyatt found her career in a nontraditional way. It's led her to become the president and CEO of Berkshire County Arc". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved 2023-09-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Office of the State Auditor (May 25, 2021). "Audit of the Berkshire County Arc, Inc. (BCArc)".