October 22, 2020 | Issue #64

Advocacy: A Life and Death Situation In this week’s vlog, Executive Director Leo Sarkissian discusses the importance and the urgency of advocacy in all forms, including healthcare advocacy, during COVID-19. As an example, he discusses the case of Michael Hickson of Texas. Watch here.

This past Monday, October 19, Leo offered an in depth look at the revised FY21 State Budget in his weekly Leo Live webinar session. The replay of this webinar is now available to watch on demand. Be sure to tune in to learn the implications of the budget and what we need to do together to ensure a stable safety net and support families.

Featured

Now more than ever, advocacy is an absolutely crucial part of daily life for our community. On Thursday, October 29, join an exclusive training opportunity with The Arc's Maura Sullivan and Charlie Fiske to learn what it means to be a disability advocate and how to get involved most effectively in legislative advocacy. Registration is open for this can't miss session.

#TheArcVotes

Reminder: The absolute last day to register to vote in Massachusetts for the 2020 election is Saturday, October 24, by 8 p.m. (No registration on election day, November 3, 2020)

On Thursday, October 22, Ellen Taverna and Kathleen Amaral hosted a presentation on what you need to know to prepare for the 2020 Election as a member of the disability vote community. In case you were unable to attend this presentation, this time-sensitive webinar is now available to watch on demand.

Why do you vote? Why does your vote matter to you? Tell us! Click here to download our printable signs. Take a photo of yourself holding one of these signs ("I vote because..." or "My vote matters because...") and send it to Taverna@arcmass.org and KAmaral@arcmass.org. Feel free to also film a short video if you'd prefer and explain why your vote matters.

Miscellaneous

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made significant progress in expanding access to health care for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Access to consistent and reliable healthcare is critical for individuals with IDD, and the ACA created much-needed reforms to health insurance, addressed systemic discrimination, and expanded coverage. Leading up to the ACA’s day in court, here is a primer on what the ACA does for people with IDD, and what’s at stake if the law goes away. Congratulations to Incompass Human Services, formerly LifeLinks Class, an affiliate of The Arc for their rebranding. Learn more here. NADD is hosting a virtual conference from October 28 – 30. It is an association of staff working to assist persons both with developmental disabilities and mental health needs. Registration is here.

Transition and Health Care

Survey: Turning 22 During COVID-19 If your young adult will be Turning 22 between March 2020 and July 2021, we want to hear from you! Complete the survey at the link below and let us know your transition experiences: what is happening, the challenges faced, and the success stories. This information will help us to advocate during these trying times. Learn more.

Webinars

The Arc of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network are proud to host a virtual adult sibling panel to share experiences and information and answer universal sibling-related questions. Join them on October 29 to learn from adult siblings of people with disabilities.

Sponsor Spotlight

The work of The Arc of Massachusetts is made possible by generous donations from people like you, friend. None of our advocacy, education, and outreach would be possible without your continued support. Please consider giving today.

Make a gift today.

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