Social development all over the world has seen increased cases of advocacy for special groups. Advocacy activities advanced by individuals, non-governmental organizations and philanthropic groups have led to change in policies in government as well as institutions all targeted towards improving the welfare of individuals with special needs. The Arc provides an excellent example of a group that has set out to protect the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The organization currently takes pride in its 65 years of accomplishments in carrying the mission and vision of individuals with intellectual as well as developmental disabilities including their siblings and parents ( Boehm, Carter & Taylor, 2015). In general, this study will analyze the activities of The Arc and how it has managed to protect IDD as well as its impact on the group.
The Arc was started by a small group of individuals in 1950 who appeared concerned about the condition of people with an intellectual disability that was then referred to us “mental retardation” ( Boehm, Carter & Taylor, 2015). At the time, there existed no activities or programs in the community that supported children with the condition or their families. Institutionalization of IDD was the only solution, but the founders of The Arc felt the individuals with the condition could still be raised at home. It was on that basis that The Arc was founded to help raise IDD at home and make them useful to the society as opposed to locking the individuals up in institutions.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Programs Conducted by the Arc
Currently, The Arc runs some programs that aim at improving the lives of IDD. The two programs National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD) and Wings for Autism seek to enhance the welfare of I/DD in the society. The programs also aim to promote independent living as well as political participation for people living with disabilities. Since 2013, the NCCJD has strived to make better the criminal justice system’s speed of response to witnesses, victims, suspects, prisoners and defendants with I/DD ( Luckasson, 2017). T he Center’s main program dubbed Pathway to justice provides specialized training as well as support aimed at developing local disability response teams that comprise of disability and criminal justice leaders including self-advocates all in a bid to improve the existing local justice system. Besides, NCCJD has provided specialized training to over 5,000 justice experts distributed in 12 different states in the U.S since 2015.
The Wings for Autism has successfully helped hundreds of thousands of individuals with disabilities as well as their families to benefit from the right to live independently and travel. The program has also trained aviation staff across the country in creating inclusive and safe places in airports that accommodate better travelers with various disabilities. As such, the program has helped in the alleviation of stress that I/DD and their families encountered while traveling by air ( Luckasson et al., 2017). In essence, the program provided not only training but also educational resources regarding disability competency to airline, airport and the Transport Security Administration volunteers, and staff.
Implications of Programs under the Arc
The Arc has reached out to many individuals; for instance, between 2014 and 2018, Wings for Autism supported over 18,000 individuals with autism as well as other disabilities alongside their families. The program has also offered training to over 1,800 aviation professionals concerning disability competency and inclusion ( Neumeier, Grosso & Rimmer, 2017). The fact that programs under the Arc support individuals with disabilities including their families explain why they have remained effective over the years. In the past, families belonging to people with various forms of disabilities suffered a great deal and even lacked necessities of life education and health care.
The other reason why the Arc has stood out is that it provides training to professionals in different areas on disability inclusion, which results in lifelong impacts. For instance, the training of the 1,800 aviation professionals on matters of disability inclusion and care changes the manner in which the whole transport industry handles I/DD (( Neumeier, Grosso & Rimmer, 2017). The initiative becomes the trend, and from there it becomes the culture. In general, instituting measures such as training ensures that the society prepares itself adequately with skills to handle individuals with disabilities, which also reduces stigma.
Advocacy for a belief
If given a chance to advocate for the rights of I/DD, I will concentrate on the media talk shows as my advocacy tool. I will move from one media house to the next sensitizing the masses on the importance of protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. The media sensitization campaign will enable me to reach out to individuals who might not have a hint on how to handle or interact with I/DD. I believe the first step towards winning the war on equal treatment for people with disabilities is changing the mind frame of the public. Indeed, the public must acknowledge the existence of the problem then start the discussion on the way forward concerning the same ( Neumeier, Grosso & Rimmer, 2017).
In conclusion, discrimination of people with disabilities had become the trend in society, which explained why the individuals suffered a lot in the past. The Arc has established programs that attempt to address the problems that people with disability endured, but much still awaits to be done. Creating awareness in the society concerning the rights of people with disability will mark an important step in establishing equal treatment for people with disability in society.
References
Boehm, T. L., Carter, E. W., & Taylor, J. L. (2015). Family quality of life during the transition to adulthood for individuals with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorders. American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities , 120 (5), 395-411.
Luckasson, R., Ford, M. E., McMillan, E. D., Misilo Jr, F. M., & Nygren, M. A. (2017). Intellectual Disability Policy as Developed, Expressed, and Evaluated in AAIDD/The Arc Joint Statements: The Role of Organization Position Statements. Intellectual and developmental disabilities , 55 (4), 269-275.
Neumeier, W. H., Grosso, C., & Rimmer, J. H. (2017). Obesity and Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
