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The Arc promotes inclusion and choice vigorously to
allow individuals to become their most unique selves. This includes
promoting the inalienable right to become totally immersed in one’s
community of choice and to participate in the same activities as
persons without disabilities. Arc will continue to promote
self-determination by advocating for appropriate funding allocations
as well as system changes that are effective in shifting control of
resources for services to the customer and away from
institutions. This includes lobbying in the school system,
health and human services system, governmental system and in the
legal system for self determination-quality services and supports
for persons with developmental disabilities.
The Arc of the United States was established 50
years ago as the result of families wanting, needing and demanding
services and supports for their family members. While the mission
language has been updated from time to time, we have always been
driven by a pledge to support the lives of people with disabilities
and assure, through advocacy, a responsive, efficient system of
services that is accountable to the people receiving supports and to
the public. The Arc of the United States develops position
statements on various important issues affecting the lives of
persons with disabilities, to which the local chapters
subscribe.
The core values of the Arc of the United States
include diversity, democracy, people first, visionary leadership,
community participation, integrity and excellence. The Arc is an
organization made up of people with disabilities and their families,
dedicated to reducing disparities for persons with disabilities as
our primary mission. This is a civil rights organization for
facilitating the best quality lives and social justice for persons
with disabilities.
The Arc of NC is the largest advocacy organization
in the state focused on improving the quality of life for all people
with developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc of
NC was among the first and most successful organizations to provide
Supported Employment, Supported Living, Support Brokerage, Community
Coaching, self-employment options, Employer of Record services, and
corporate guardianship services.
The Arc of Mecklenburg County, Inc. a United Way
organization, is a local affiliated chapter of Arc national and
state, and is driven and managed by its board and membership.
The Arc of Mecklenburg County, Inc. works diligently to promote
individualized, community-based supports and services to people of
all ages with developmental disabilities.
Services of the Arc of Mecklenburg County include
case and class advocacy, support and outreach, information and
referral, education and training, public awareness of disability and
special projects.
For instance, in 2002-2003, the Arc of Mecklenburg’s
Self-Determination/POWER project, with the NC DD Council and Local
Management Entity, worked with adults with developmental
disabilities and their families to organize financial and human
resources to facilitate thoughtful life plans for living in a world
not designed for their success. POWER project participants
bought new homes, started businesses, gained financial stability,
developed informal support networks and many other less radical
successes. The Arc’s Self Determination/POWER project was an
incubator for implementation of person-centered, cost effective,
flexible services and is the model for all future service delivery
for persons with developmental disabilities in Mecklenburg County,
in accordance with the North Carolina Mental Health Reform plan.
The Arc Aktion Club is a partnership between three
South Charlotte Kiwanis groups (Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville)
and adult self-advocates who wish to perform community service
projects. This very exciting club has just completed their
first project, painting a mural on the fence at the Arc of
Mecklenburg offices. The plan for the Aktion Club is to teach
self-advocacy workshops and to complete several service projects in
2005.
The Arc sponsors workshops and educational
programming along with media events and written materials to profile
and promote the service provider network and good services for
persons with disabilities. We educate the general community
about issues that affect people with disabilities, through
workshops, trainings, news articles, radio spots and Arc newsletter
to reach diverse audiences. Advocacy at the state and federal
levels is accomplished in conjunction with consumer members via
their work in the legislature, regular visits to representatives,
speeches before the Board of County Commissioners etc. Parents
and professionals are taught about advocacy in various settings,
such as schools, residential and health care programs.
The Arc partners with Council for Children's Rights
to provide IEP trainings for professionals and parents, for
accurate, reliable information about special education law,
education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
The Arc is always looking to develop new and
innovative programming for our constituents. Give us a call or
suggest a new project, and we will certainly consider finding funds
to make great things happen for folks with developmental
disabilities in Mecklenburg County. Thanks for your
interest.
Timeline
1953 - The Association for Retarded Children was
started by Vita Bryant and others, mostly parents of children with
disabilities.
1959 - Nevins Center was started as a sheltered
workshop for individuals with moderate retardation, ages 16 and
up.
1959 - Ramsey Kindergarten was started at Park Road
Baptist Church.
1960 - The Arc, in cooperation with the Junior
Women’s Club, sponsored the first day camp for children with mental
retardation in Mecklenburg County. Twenty-six children were
served.
1968 - Ground was broken for Phase One of the Center
For Human Development. This new concept was to provide day
care and other work for individuals with disabilities.
1971 - The Auxiliary for the Retarded, which
assisted and supported individuals in the community with
disabilities. Most of the members were not parents of children with
disabilities.
1971 - The Arc filed a lawsuit against the State of
North Carolina demanding appropriate education for children with
mental retardation. The state Arc picked up the lawsuit after
this.
1971 - Myers Street School was given to the
“Trainable Retarded”, but the building was unsafe. This led to the
starting of Metro School.
1973 - St. Marks was started by St. Marks Lutheran
Church. This day program was for individuals with more severe
retardation.
1974 - The first group homes were started.
1975 - Mecklenburg Respite Care started under the
leadership of Arc President, Chuck Boles.
1976 - Metro School was started.
1976 - Public Law-142 was passed guaranteeing
individuals the right to free and appropriate education in the least
restrictive environment, regardless of type or degree of disability.
The community colleges began serving those who had not received an
appropriate education.
1978 - The Autistic Group Homes were founded.
1986 - Howell Center opened.
1986-1992 - During these years, Arc members were
busy. They worked with legislators to facilitate building the
Marion Diehl Recreation Center, they assisted the county in
developing a centralized waiting list to document the need for
residential services, and they started Operation Santa Claus, among
other things.
1993 - Arc members received training in Circles of
Friends and began the first circles in NC.
1995-1996 - A community liaison program through a
grant from Elizabeth Crockett Fund was started to pair people with
MR with volunteers from the community to help them learn to access
their community. The program was turned over to RSS.
1995 - The Arc Dream Team (now The Advocates Powered
Up), an adult self-advocacy group, was formed.
1995 - Formed a pilot project for First in Families,
a program that uses cash grants, vouchers, and community resources
to help people with MR and other DD meet their needs with less red
tape.
1997 - Purchased 4 condos jointly with RSS.
1997 - Received grant from DD council to start My
Future, My Choice, a program aimed at transitioning students with
severe disabilities to help the find competitive employment.
1999 - Family Support Network of Mecklenburg County
was started.
2002-2003 - Self-Determination/Power Project was
developed and implemented. This pilot project was then turned over
to RSS.
2003 - Latino Outreach activities, including
education, advocacy and support group functions, were outsourced to
a Lifespan employee.
2003 - Started Project IMPACT, a collaborative
project with The Children’s Law Center. IMPACT provides a trained
volunteer to accompany parents to their child’s IEP meeting.
2004 - Started Aktion Clubs, a joint venture with
Kiwanis clubs. Started the Arc Leadership Initiative
Project.
2005 - Partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build
homes in the community for individuals with disabilities and their
families. Partnered with Substance Abuse Prevention Services and the
Chemical Dependency Center to form a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders Committee for Mecklenburg County.
2006 - Expanded the Aktion Club to North
Mecklenburg. Formed a partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Police Department, Council for Children's Rights (previously the
Children's Law Center & The Council for Children) and Disability
Rights & Resources (formerly Programs for Accessible Living) to
expand our Partners in Justice project to help individuals with
disabilities avoid the criminal justice system and to learn their
rights.
2007 - Coordinated and facilitated a successful
WrightsLaw workshop at Queens University in partnership with the
Council for Children’s Rights. 360 Parents, educators, advocates,
and attorneys attended for accurate, reliable information about
special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with
disabilities. NICU project at Presbyterian comes back to
life with the help of the United Way's Leading the Way Team.
Habitat for Humanity Home for an adult lady with disabilities
scheduled to be built by end of
summer! | 
