A family-based organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Public Recognition of Persons with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities

Recognizing the contributions made by people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities is important to becoming fully participating members of the community.  The public, at large, must be made aware that individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities contribute to improving the quality of life for everyone in their community.

It is The Arc New York’s position that every effort should be made to:

  • Promote and support people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities to speak, advocate and represent themselves publicly. 
  • Promote and encourage the presentation of stories with positive and meaningful news that recognize the accomplishments of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. 
  • Promote and encourage the use of people-first language to describe and/or reference of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in all public pronouncements.  
  • Seek to identify, correct and/or eliminate the use of terms that are pejorative and can devalue individuals, including any version of words that are historical, dated or arcane, such as “retarded or mentally retarded”.
  • Support and promote the development and presentation of educational curriculums in all grade levels in New York state schools, which explains the history and accomplishments of people and systems in the field of disabilities. 
  • Use any and all public means and forms of media to promote persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in a manner that celebrates and reinforces their talents, skills and value as citizens and productive members of our communities. 
  • Serve as an example through a chapter commitment to employ and recognize people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in valued work assignments and leadership roles. 
  • Promote the local chapter, The Arc New York and The Arc of the United States as the preferred sources of information on issues relating to people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

 

Adopted October 21, 2000 at NYSARC, Inc. Delegate Assembly
Revision Adopted October 16, 2004 at NYSARC, Inc. Delegate Assembly
Adopted with Amendments October 27, 2006 at NYSARC, Inc. Delegate Assembly
Adopted with Amendments October 21, 2011 at NYSARC, Inc. Delegate Assembly
Adopted with Amendments October 17, 2014 at NYSARC, Inc. Delegate Assembly