As The Arc of Indiana celebrates 70 years of empowering people and inspiring change, we want to hear from you! Please share your stories, memories, or experiences where The Arc has made a difference in your life or the life of a loved one, colleague or friend. Whether it’s a story of inclusion, achievement, advocacy,…
Advocacy
Safe Parks Plus: A Down Syndrome Story of Safety, Belonging, and Hope
In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month WHERE IT BEGAN October invites us to reflect on what inclusion truly means—not as a slogan, but as a practice of care, compassion, and thoughtful design. This month, as we celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I want to share the personal story that inspired the Safe Parks Plus…
Lifting Up Inclusion — Why Disability Employment Matters More Than Ever (And Why We Can’t Be Distracted by Misinformation)
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month — a time to celebrate the talents, aspirations, and dignity of people with disabilities in the workforce. Across Indiana, individuals with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other challenges are ready, eager, and highly capable of meaningful work — if we as a society continue to clear away…
Medicaid & Public Policy Update Webinars
The Arc of Indiana, Autism Society of Indiana, Down Syndrome Indiana, and Indiana Statewide Independent Living Council are hosting webinars in December to provide updates on Medicaid and critical public policy issues. December 2 Protecting Medicaid: Advocacy in Action 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET Register December 9 2026 Disability Community of Indiana Public Policy Agenda…
14 Minutes: Why I Chose to Tell Our Story
Our stories hold power. When we choose to share them—even the most painful ones—we transform personal suffering into collective advocacy. Speaking out is how silence breaks, how systems change, and how children are finally protected. This month, I will release a new book, “14 Minutes: A Call to End Restraint & Seclusion.” Our title comes…
Holding On Through the Changes: What Indiana’s Medicaid Shifts Mean for Families
On July 2, an Indiana mother opened the letter she had dreaded. Medicaid had denied the waiver services her son depended on for nursing care. Her choices were unthinkable: quit her job to provide care full-time or risk her child’s health without the support they’d been promised. This is what “policy change” looks like—not in…
Federal Budget Report & Town Hall Meetings
Changes Coming to Medicaid Funding The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the federal budget bill on May 22, 2025, with nearly $880 billion in Medicaid cuts. The Senate followed on July 1, advancing its version to the House for final consideration ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline. The Senate bill includes…
Home & Community Support Professional Training & Registry Update
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has announced, effective July 1, 2025, the launch of a statewide training curriculum, platform, and direct support professional registry. This initiative is aimed at maintaining a diverse, stable, and well-trained workforce to provide quality person-centered home and community-based services and support. At this time, this applies to employees…
Your Story Has Power: How Advocacy Begins in the Everyday Moments We Dare to Speak Up
I didn’t set out to be an advocate. I was just a mom trying to get my son what he needed—a quiet place to regroup, a teacher who understood, a little more time to get from here to there. But what started as a conversation turned into a calling. Because every time I spoke up,…
A Time for Hope: Hope in Times of Uncertainty
A reflection on what it means to hold onto hope when the systems we trust begin to unravel—and how our belief in what is possible must carry us forward. Hope is not always easy. I almost didn’t write this post. I sat in stillness, unsure whether I had the right words—or the emotional stamina—to speak…