There’s still time in October to promote National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM). Chapters of The Arc can simply log in to The Arc of the U.S. chapter portal and click on “Programs and Services” in the left-hand navigation. There, you’ll find the NDEAM toolkit which includes a series of employment stories, educational social media posts, and a tip sheet for companies starting a disability hiring program.

The Arc@Work, a program of The Arc of the U.S., forges partnerships between employers and our chapters to create career opportunities for jobseekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They also provide technical support to chapters looking to start/improve their supported employment programming. Email TheArcWork@TheArc.org to learn more.

The Arc of Texas board member, Veronica Ayala, will speak at the National Council of Self Advocates Symposium at The Arc National Conference. The Symposium will focus on self-advocates looking to gain meaningful employment and will include activities for people across job experience levels. Veronica will speak on Nov. 6 at 10:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. CT. Registration for the conference closes Oct. 30.

The Female Quotient focuses on equality in the workplace. For Disability Pride Month, they hosted a virtual discussion about the employment barriers of the 1 in 4 Americans living with a disability, and additional inequities women, mothers and minority groups with disabilities face. The Arc’s own Ashley Glears (Chapter Associate) and Quay Tasker (SEO of Programs) were featured in two of them.

This survey supports local planning and facilitation of the Texas Youth Sequential Intercept Model workshops and is intended for managers or program administrators at organizations working at the intersection of youth behavioral health and juvenile justice. It aims to create an inventory of Texas juvenile justice prevention, diversion, and treatment programs available to youth with mental illness, substance use disorders, or intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Families are at a breaking point because of severe underfunding in care programs. We can and must do better to support people with disabilities, older adults, family caregivers, and the direct care workforce. Sign the #CareCantWait petition now!

The Third Special Legislative Session focusing on education is underway.  Senate Bill 1, which impacts students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has passed in the Senate and is on its way to a vote in the House. Send an email to the members of the House Committee on Education using our draft and email addresses.

The Arc of Texas testified last week as a plaintiff against a Texas law targeting voting access. “Voting rights are in the DNA of The Arc of Texas and this bill disenfranchises voters with disabilities,” said Jennifer Martinez, CEO of The Arc of Texas, during her testimony in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The lawsuit challenges limitations on early voting hours and a ban on 24-hour voting, the elimination of drive-thru voting centers, limitations on multiple drop-off locations for mail ballots, limitations on the distribution of mail-in ballot applications, limitations and possible penalties for voter assistants, expansion of the authority of partisan poll watchers, and criminal penalties against poll workers seeking to maintain order at the polling place. The soonest we might hear a verdict in the ongoing trial would be later this fall, although we expect it may go on longer.