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Arc of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Arc of the United States
Formation1950
FoundersParent advocacy groups
Type501(c)(3) organization
PurposeDisability rights, services, and advocacy
Headquarters2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006
Region served
United States
Members549 chapters (as of 2025)[1]
Key people
Katherine (Katy) Neas (CEO)[2]
Websitethearc.org

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.[3] The Arc of the United States is based in Washington, D.C. and, as of 2024, operates chapters in 577 cities, as well as all states except Maine.[4]

Programs and activities

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The Arc of the United States primarily conducts advocacy and public awareness work focused on Medicaid, special education, Social Security, and health care policy; it also organizes grassroots advocacy within the same fields.[5][6][7] The organization also advocates against stigma and discrimination against disabled people. This includes awareness campaigns to combat ableist slurs and to advocate for better employment for people with disabilities.[8][9][10]

Its special education initiative, Arc@School, provides plain-language training and resources about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law ensuring children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education.[11][12]

The National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD) is a program of The Arc of the United States established in 2013 with support from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance. It serves to provide training and resources for justice professionals. They also provide resources to perople with disabilities who are actively interacting with the criminal justice system. This can include victims, witnesses, suspects, defendants, and detainees[13][14]

The organization hosts a National Convention that hosts people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), family members, professionals, and advocates to discuss current issues; historical speakers have included John F. Kennedy, who addressed the National Convention in 1963.[15]

The Arc oversees Wings for Autism/Wings for All, an annual airport “rehearsal” program run with airlines, airports, and security partners to help travelers with autism and other IDDs prepare for air travel.[16][17]

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.[18] Major sources of income are charitable donations; dues for membership in local and state chapters; and government grants, contracts, and fees.[19]

History

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President John F. Kennedy addressing NARC in 1963.

The earliest organization that later became a chapter of The Arc was the Children's Benevolent League, incorporated in 1936 in the state of Washington.[20] In 1950, parent groups from across the country met in Minneapolis, MN to formally organize The Arc (originally the National Association of Parents and Friends of Retarded Children), with the goal of expanding community services and civil rights for people with IDD.[21] The Arc opened its Governmental Affairs office in Washington, D.C. in the 1960s to focus on national advocacy.

President Richard Nixon meeting with the 1972 poster child of the NARC.

From 1973 to 1981, the organization was called the National Association for Retarded Citizens. From 1981 to 1992, it was named the Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States. The Arc assumed its present name in 1992, in recognition of the pejorative nature of the word "retarded".[22]

The Arc and its chapters participated in national coalitions that supported major disability-related laws, including the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now IDEA),[23][24] the ADA,[25] and later measures such as the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 and Rosa's Law.[26][27] The organization also engaged in historical advocacy on Medicaid and Social Security (United States) to expand and protect benefits affecting people with disabilities.[28]

References

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  1. ↑ "2025 Annual Report" (PDF). The Arc of the United States. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Arc of the United States Names Katy Neas CEO". The Arc of the United States. June 26, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  3. ↑ "History". The Arc of the United States. 2011.
  4. ↑ "2024 Annual Report" (PDF). The Arc of the United States. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Uproar as disability rights protesters in wheelchairs dragged out of House Medicaid meeting". The Independent. May 14, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  6. ↑ "The Department of Education helps students with disabilities. Don't let it disappear". Newsweek. February 17, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Social Security Administration to remove food assistance as SSI benefit barrier". CNBC. March 28, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  8. ↑ "The R-Word Is Back". HuffPost. March 14, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ "7 Tips for Successfully Hiring Talent with Developmental Disabilities". Society for Human Resource Management. March 10, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ "At the DNC, a father's tears became a cultural flashpoint about masculinity and disability". USA Today. August 22, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Easier Special Education Advocacy for Parents". Word In Black. June 14, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "The Arc@School". The Arc of the United States. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Serving Safely: Overview Webinar Presentation" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ "NCCJD Celebrates 10 Years of Disability and Criminal Justice Advocacy". The Arc of the United States. October 18, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Address to the National Association for Retarded Children". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. October 24, 1963. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  16. ↑ "How travel embraces neurodiversity". Travel Weekly. January 6, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Taking flight". TIME for Kids. October 9, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  18. ↑ ProPublica, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Ken Schwencke, Brandon Roberts, Alec Glassford (May 9, 2013). "THE ARC OF THE UNITED STATES - Form Form 990 for period ending Dec 2019 - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved May 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "IRS Form 990: Report of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". The Arc of the United States. Archived from the original on November 26, 2008.
  20. ↑ "Our History". The Arc of Washington State. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  21. ↑ "A Good Life". PBS. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  22. ↑ "History of The Arc". The Arc of the United States. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  23. ↑ Hawkins, Beth (December 18, 2025). "Before Special Ed, There Was the School-to-Asylum Pipeline. How One Lawsuit Helped End It". The 74. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1972)". Embryo Project Encyclopedia (Arizona State University). Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  25. ↑ "ADA: History and Overview". University of San Diego School of Law. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Congress Passes ABLE Act: Savings Accounts to Fund Care for Individuals with Disabilities" (PDF). Special Needs Alliance. December 17, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Change in Terminology: "Mental Retardation" to "Intellectual Disability"". Federal Register. August 1, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Disability History and the Self-Advocacy Movement". Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
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