Fw: Arc Fusion Participatory Democracy

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Arc Fusion Participatory DemocracyFYI

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Ellen Garber Bronfeld

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Arc Fusion Participatory Democracy

The Arc of Illinois issues of the day from the desk of Tony

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The Arc of Illinois

The Arc of Illinois is a state chapter of The Arc

of the United States. The Arc of Illinois is committed to empowering persons

with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through

informed choices.

Leaders in The Arc:

This edition of Fusion focuses upon the importance

of participatory democracy, our core values and positions statements in The Arc.

Tony auski

The Arc of Illinois

815-464-1832

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A newsletter for chapters that connects, engages

and informs. JULY 25, 2011

Letter from the CEO

V. Berns

CEO of The Arc Your Participation Needed

As I have traveled around the country visiting

chapters of The Arc these past three years, I have often heard the admonition

“if you have seen one chapter of The Arc, you have seen one chapter of The

Arc,†a statement that calls out the differences that exist in our chapter

network. Certainly, chapters of The Arc are a varied lot, ranging from small,

all-volunteer organizations to large, well-funded advocacy and service

nonprofits offering a diverse array of programs, services and supports for

people with I/DD. As I try to make sense of the diversity of our chapter

network, as well as the diversity of the views I have heard expressed by people

with I/DD, their parents and family members, I often think about what holds our

network together? Central, it seems to me, is our commitment to Core Values.

While chapter leaders may have differences of opinion about how our values apply

in a given situation, The Arc’s Core Values (reframed last year to be called

“Core Values and Guiding Principlesâ€) seem to enjoy near universal approval

and affirmation.

One of The Arc’s Core Values and Guiding

Principles is “Participatory Democracy.†“The Arc acts to ensure that

people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their parents,

siblings, family members and other concerned members of the public should have

meaningful opportunities to inform and guide the direction of the

organization’s advocacy, including determining policy and positions on

important issues.†Our National Convention, coming up on September 16-19, 2011

in Denver, provides an important opportunity to bring this value to life and

this year we will be doing so much more than ever before.

At Convention this year, you are invited to

participate in two Listening Sessions where we will have an open mike available

for you to share your views with representatives from The Arc’s Board,

relevant committees, task forces and work groups. We will be using the Listening

Sessions, in part, to gather input about the three position statements (Housing,

Employment and Physician Assisted Suicide) that will be reviewed in 2012. Yet,

these sessions are by no means limited to these topics alone. Come share your

ideas for new position statements The Arc should develop and more. What do you

think about the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services recent effort to

define “home and community†for purpose of waiver services? What does

“home and community†mean in the context of employment, housing or community

participation? How can we expand employment opportunities for people with I/DD?

Are center based work and day programs becoming obsolete or do they have an

ongoing role to play in an evolving service system? What do you think about

housing alternatives, such as intentional, planned or faith-based communities,

or disability-specific housing, some of which seem to appeal to a segment of our

community? Are there new approaches that will help us succeed in including

people with I/DD in their communities in the face of declining government

resources? What more can we do for people with I/DD and families that may never

receive any government-funded services or supports other than SSI? How is the

emergence of charter schools affecting the right to inclusive education? Do our

30 position statements and our Legislative Goals adequately address these and

many other important issues and trends that affect the lives of people with I/DD

and their families? What are some of the other questions that need to be

discussed and debated within The Arc network to make sure that The Arc is as

relevant to people with I/DD and their families today as it has been these past

60 years?

In addition to the two Listening Sessions, a

separate Legislative Goals Forum will be held that focuses exclusively on public

policy and The Arc’s legislative agenda. And there will be a breakout session

in advance of the annual business meeting to review the position statements that

are coming up for approval this year.

Of course, Convention is not the only time that

we will be reaching out to you to solicit your input on these and other

important topics. As we did when developing The Arc’s new brand identity, and

in gathering input for the Committee on the Future’s ongoing work on

governance, affiliation and membership structure, we will continue to invite

your participation through webinars, surveys, circulating and inviting comments

on draft documents and other mechanisms. Convention is, though, one of the few

opportunities to speak directly with your colleagues from around the country and

with national leadership. We take the value of “Participatory Democracyâ€

quite seriously, so your participation is needed. We look forward to seeing you

there. As always, you can reach me at berns@... or 202.534.3701.

Resources & Opportunities

Last Chance to Register

There’s still time to register for the

National Conference of Executives of The Arc (NCE) Institute in Baltimore, MD.

The Institute kicks off August 5 with a pre-conference offering management tools

for a multi-generational workforce and an opening plenary session focusing on

the Medicaid crisis. Other informative sessions will cover working effectively

with board, grassroots organizing, leadership, fundraising and using The Arc’s

new brand. Register now!

Information Technology Planning – What You

Need to Know!

The Standards for Excellence program has just

released their 24th Education Pack on the benefits of IT planning, managing, and

social media. This packet provides you all the information you need to create a

plan for your chapter. Please log on to our website and learn about the aspects

of Information Technology Planning.

Employment Stories Wanted!

The Alliance for Full Participation, an

organization of which The Arc is proud to be a founder and partner to help

increase employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental

disabilities (I/DD), is seeking short videos telling stories of integrated

employment for people with I/DD. These can be success stories, job searches in

progress, or stories about a job that didn’t work out from people with

intellectual and developmental disabilities; employers; direct support

providers; family members; co-workers—all those who have an employment story

to share. Find out how to submit stories on The Arc’s blog or

www.allianceforfullparticipation.org.

Tune in September 25 for Extreme Home Makeover

Inspiration

Mark your calendars or set your DVRs for 8 p.m.

EST September 25 for a special edition of Extreme Home Makeover on ABC. A

company called SimplyHome is providing unique assistive technology solutions for

independent living for a North Carolina family with a son who is paralyzed.

Although the show features someone who has a physical rather than an

intellectual disability, SimplyHome has worked for years with The Arc of North

Carolina and other clients to provide assistive technology for people with

intellectual and developmental disabilities.

News & Action Items

The Time to Act is Now!

Time is running out for Congress and the

Administration to pass legislation to avoid the financial consequences of a

federal government default. The Arc is deeply concerned that the current deficit

reduction frameworks being considered include significant cuts to Medicaid,

Medicare, and Social Security, and some propose to eliminate the Community

Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program. Billions of dollars for

the states to provide Medicaid services, which serve as a lifeline to many

families, are on the chopping block. We are asking you to contact your federal

elected officials in the next 48 hours and tell them “Don’t Cut Our

Lifeline!â€

We Have A Winner!

Nine Chapters of The Arc firmly committed to the

branding process competed to win a trip to The Arc’s National Convention with

the campaigns they have used to implement the new brand. Each entered highly

creative ideas from The Arcmobile (a vehicle painted with the new logo

travelling around the community) to hand-crafted shoes and other items bearing

elements from the new visual identity. The Grand Prize Winner is The Arc of

Iroquois County (IL) who used the new logo center court on a new

basketball/volleyball/tennis court. Players going for a “free throw†are met

with the encouraging tagline “Achieve with us!†Over the next few weeks

we’ll feature photos from the top entries here as well as at an exhibit at

Convention where a representative from the winning Chapter will appear. Thanks

to everyone who competed!

Chapter Focus

Chapters Share Success Stories Online

Here’s more news from Chapters participating

in The Arc and Walmart Foundation-funded School-to-Community Transition

Initiative. Forty-nine Chapters across the country have been awarded grants

specifically to help individuals with intellectual and developmental

disabilities in their communities overcome issues related to transitioning from

school to work, higher education or living in the community as an adult. Read

about how The Arc of Racine County is encouraging mentoring to help teens

prepare for careers. And, find more inspirational stories from other Chapters

working on transition issues on our website.

Bob Perske by Joe Arridy's tombstone

(Photo via friendsofjoearridy.com) Supporting

Justice For All

The Arc of Connecticut recently highlighted

author and advocate Bob Perske in their chapter newsletter for a story he wrote

about one of the many people with intellectual disabilities he fights for to

obtain justice. The chapter provides support by inviting Perske to write a

monthly column to get the word out about injustices people with I/DD are facing

everyday across the country. This month’s newsletter boasts especially

important news about the pardon of Joe Arridy, a man with I/DD who was wrongly

accused, convicted and finally executed for a crime he did not commit. Read this

incredible story on The Arc of Connecticut’s site. Chapters have a great

opportunity to partner with advocates like Bob Perske to raise awareness of

critical, timely issues affecting those with intellectual disabilities. Look

around, start developing supportive relationships with passionate advocates in

your area, you never know where it may lead!

Betty Ketchum, Rest In Peace

Betty Ketchum, the Executive Director of The Arc

of the Gulf Coast (Texas) for more than 30 years, was killed in a tragic car

accident over the weekend. For more than three decades Betty was an ideal

example of servant-leadership in The Arc. The lives of many people with

intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have been

immeasurably improved by Betty’s dedicated service. She will be missed

greatly. Messages of condolence, or donations in her name, can be sent to The

Arc of the Gulf Coast, PO Box 1484, Alvin, TX 77512-1484.

Brand Update

There are some new resources available to

adopting chapters online. Brand Coordinator Amberley Romo has created “Tips

and Tricks†information sheets to help you use the new visual identity most

effectively. Check out Brand Implementation Resources under Future of The Arc in

the For Chapters section of www.thearc.org to find out what’s available to

help you. (You will need to be logged in to access).

How many Chapters have signed up to use The

Arc’s new brand? Find out on our website.

Upcoming Events

Plan to attend the Alliance for Full

Participation Summit 2.0: Real Jobs. It’s Everyone’s Business in Washington,

D.C. November 17-19 . Register now, early bird rates end July 31!

Register now for The Arc’s National Convention

in Denver, CO, September 16-19.

Special Thanks to our 2011 National Convention

Sponsors: AGS, Diversified Nonprofit Services, Essential Learning, Hammer

Travel, The HSC Foundation, Irwin Siegel Agency, Inc., Liberty Mutual, Medisked,

MetLife, Managance Consulting, Mutual of America, Rest Assured, Tandem Select,

Arc Thrift Stores of Colorado and Trips, Inc.

Summer Special on Webinars from The Arc

Sign up now for one of a series of educational

Webinars on topics ranging from chapter excellence to fundraising to the causes

of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Get the full schedule and take

advantage of the Summer Special by registering for two or more.

Coming up:

a.. Advocacy Matters! July 28 at 2:00 p.m. EST

b.. Toxicants: Environmental Links Associated

with I/DD August 9 at 2:00 p.m. EST

Welcome ARC (Abilities Resource Center) of

Indian River County in FL!

Where's ?

a.. July 28-30 — NISH Board meeting, Portland,

OR

Find us on:

We encourage you to share this publication with

other staff members and volunteer leadership of The Arc, and have them become an

online user to gain valuable information in the " For Chapters " section of our

website.

For online access to " For Chapters, " click on

the " For Chapters " link at bottom left of The Arc home page under " Chapter

Resources. " If you're already logged in, you will be brought directly to the

" For Chapters " section. If you're not logged in, you will be prompted to follow

a link to the login page. If you're a member, simply enter your username and

password and click login. If you're not a current member, click on " New User

Registration " and complete the new user form. Under " Chapter Involvement, "

please be sure to select " Employee of a Chapter. " Within 24 hours you will have

access to the " For Chapters " section of the website.

If you do not want to receive Fusion, please

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