It took the internet less than a week to turn a raccoon from a monster into a meme, then a mascot, and now merchandise. First, Jimothy was a cryptid. No, wait. He was a mutant. Of course, he must be a monster. But within days, the narrative shifted. He became adorable. Beloved. Inspirational. Artists drew…
Every great tabletop adventure begins the same way… Someone pulls up a chair. Dice are dumped onto the table. Character sheets appear. Rule books open. Someone inevitably says, “I’ve never played before,” while another player quietly starts explaining how initiative works. By the end of the session, they’re no longer strangers. They’re a party. From…
There is something powerful about loving a place honestly. Not perfectly. Not blindly. Not with the kind of affection that asks us to look away from what is broken or soften the hard edges. But with a love that is steady enough to tell the truth, courageous enough to expect better, and hopeful enough to…
In 1985, Jeff and Sue traveled to Riley Hospital in search of answers about their three-year-old son, Kurt. The diagnosis they received, autism, came with a long list of everything doctors said Kurt would never do. They were even told he could be placed in an institution that very day. Jeff and Sue didn’t hesitate.…
Noble/The Arc of Greater Indianapolis, founded in 1953, is proud of its long history as a chapter of The Arc. For 70 years, The Arc of Indiana has been an incredibly powerful advocate for people with disabilities and their families, driven to protect the rights that are an intrinsic part of the human experience. More…
In 2004, at the age of 40, Carole was overjoyed to be pregnant for the first time. Although she understood the potential risks, prenatal testing was never something she considered. This was her child, and she embraced whatever the future would bring. When Evan was born with Down syndrome, Carole continued forward exactly as she…
Kim Dodson, CEO The Arc of Indiana is a nonprofit organization that advocates on issues important to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. We represent the people currently utilizing Medicaid and Medicaid Waiver services, as well as those who are waiting for these services. The recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporting on…
The Arc of Indiana took a chance and hired me as their front desk coordinator. I was a team member from April 2014 to April 2019. I had been out of the administrative field for 4 years and was seeking with all my heart to find something. The Arc came along and gave me a…
For years, I hid. Not because I was ashamed of my son—but because I was exhausted by the judgment. The looks. The unsolicited advice. The quiet assumptions that if I just disciplined him more, corrected him sooner, or tried harder, the behaviors would disappear. People only saw what was happening on the outside. They didn’t…