Center To Bridge Divide Between Disability Community, Police

 first-of-its-kind national center is in the works with an eye toward improving interactions between individuals with developmental disabilities and law enforcement.

The Arc said it has received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish the new initiative which will address both victim and offender issues involving those with disabilities.

The effort comes less than a year after the death of Robert Ethan Saylor, a Maryland man with Down syndrome, at the hands of law enforcement after he refused to leave a movie theater. The incident prompted national outrage and calls for better police training and awareness.

Serving as a clearinghouse, the new center will offer a resource library, directories of attorneys, victim advocates and other experts in addition to a database of relevant state laws, organizers said. Technical assistance as well as in-person and web-based training sessions will also be offered.

Read more of Michelle Diament's Disability Scoop article HERE.

March is Developmental Disabilities Month

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month thanks to a 1987 Presidential Proclamation from Ronald Reagan, which was the direct result of the advocacy efforts of The Arc. A lot has changed since then, more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are living and thriving in their communities rather than institutions, there are more opportunities, more protections and more respect for and inclusion of people with I/DD in their communities. But we must remember that many of those advancements were hard won. Advocacy was the impetus for many of the positive changes in our society, such as the creation of DD Awareness Month. And that will continue only as long as we fight for it.

In 2012, a pivotal Presidential election year, we are fighting to protect Medicaid. Since many people with disabilities rely on publicly funded services to fully participate in their communities, policy makers need to know you are concerned about continuing those services in the face of budget cuts during tough economic times. Take advantage of March to make your mark on the candidates who hope to hold office in 2013 and beyond. Use Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month as a reason to get involved and get active today!

Read more of The Arc blog post HERE.