The Arc released the following statement in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. “We are so saddened by the events that occurred yesterday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.  The families, and the community of Uvalde, will forever be impacted by the loss of these young children […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in response to the first federal complaint challenging discriminatory hospital “no-visitor” policies, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a resolution making clear that federal law requires hospitals and the state agencies overseeing them to modify policies to ensure patients with disabilities […]

The Arc released the following statement on the need for swift and substantial action in our society and from our nation’s leaders to dismantle racism, end discrimination, and to honor, protect, and enforce the civil and human rights of all people. “The ongoing violence and police brutality against Black and Brown people in our country […]

Today, the House of Representatives passed a COVID-19 relief bill that finally includes many elements that will provide critical assistance to people with disabilities, their families and the direct support workforce during this pandemic. “This is an acute crisis for people with disabilities, their families, and support staff across the country. And this response legislation […]

Thanks to the advocacy of people with disabilities and their families and friends, the Treasury Department announced today that it would automatically issue Recovery Rebate payments to people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) via the method by which they usually receive their SSI benefits. This change ensures that people with disabilities on […]

WASHINGTON – Today, in response to a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by the Alabama Disability Advocacy Program (ADAP) and other disability rights advocates, the state of Alabama has withdrawn its discriminatory ventilator rationing policy and instructed hospitals across the state that they cannot […]

By: Nicole Jorwic, Senior Director of Public Policy, The Arc Here we are again, fighting for our lives in Congressional negotiations – this time during a global pandemic. And the outcome will impact the services people with disabilities rely on, strain systems that provide those services, and may close down service providers all over the […]

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced guidance to states allowing them to pursue drastic changes in how they administer Medicaid to many program recipients, including people with disabilities, family members, direct support professionals, and other allies of people with disabilities. The guidance encourages states to cap their federal funding […]

Washington, D.C. – This week, instead of finalizing a deal that would provide certainty and stability to a program that moves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) out of institutions and into the community of their choice, Congress reauthorized the program for only five months. The Money Follows the Person program, or MFP, provides […]

Washington, D.C. – The Arc is deeply troubled by Wednesday’s Federal Appeals Court ruling in Texas v. United States jeopardizing the health care of millions of people with disabilities. In a disappointing decision, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional. In sending the case back to […]