March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!

Every year in March, The Arc Mid-South celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM). This is a nationwide event to raise awareness about inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life, and the barriers that they still face. We recognize the value of inclusion and the importance of supports and services. We recognize that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delays make our state and our world a better, more diverse place to live.

The core message of our DDAM campaign this year is “A World of Opportunities”.

“A World of Opportunities” – celebrating people and working together to remove obstacles. Our goal is to build a community that’s committed to creating a world where everyone can do well and succeed. Join us in making a world where all people have the chance to thrive.

I would also like to shed some light on two new sponsor partners who have contributed to our organization's mission and purpose. Thank you, TJX, for a grant, and Amazon, for Fire tablets for our students!

Visit The Arc Mid-South's website at www.thearcmidsouth.org to explore more resources and services offered by The Arc.

April is Autism Awareness Month

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder with differing levels of severity. This April, we bring awareness to everyone who is touched by autism and other developmental disabilities. This event focuses on inclusion within the community for people with various abilities.

Competing teams will play in wheelchairs on a full-size basketball court. Join us for an exciting tournament with teams from all over Memphis, including the Memphis Bears (Youth Academy of Dreams), J. Strickland & Co., Terumo Medical, Memphis Parks, Shelby County Sheriffs, and more!

Parent Testimonial

"We have learned to help develop her strengths and support her as necessary. One goal at a time, one day at a time. Educating lawmakers about needs and unnecessary laws that may unintentionally hurt my daughter is important. We have to speak up at school and doctors' offices, too. I make it a point to reach out to others to help, as well. Makayla deserves life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like all of us."

—Shontie B.

Our Life Education Training & Skills teachers always seek new ways to help our students improve their memory. To achieve that goal, they created a trivia game, which the students seem to love.

Mrs. Mildred and Ms. Klorisa created some Black History questions, split the class into teams, and held a friendly competition. The event achieved the goal of helping the students improve their memory, and, most importantly, everyone had fun!

Community Meets with Legislators

On Wednesday, February 28, a group of 32 advocates, self-advocates, family members, professionals, and staff members representing The Arc Mid-South travelled to Nashville to meet with their state legislators about issues that are important to individuals with disabilities.

We boarded a bus at 6:00am, and many of us caught naps on the way to Nashville. Once there, we organized ourselves into small groups and introduced ourselves to all the Shelby County Senators and Representatives. The legislators listened as we told them about issues that are important to our community. We also sat in on committee meetings and received T-shirts to commemorate the event. Everyone had a good time, and we all learned a lot!

Our Life Education Training & Skills class visited SUE: The T. rex Experience at the Memphis Museum of Science & History (MoSH) on Wednesday, March 20. The students had an exciting time learning about dinosaurs. They watched an IMAX-3D movie about the evolution of dinosaurs, then saw various fossils and artifacts. Everyone learned something, and they all had fun, too!

Get Legal Help to Protect Your Rights

Disability Rights Tennessee is a non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of Tennesseans with disabilities. DRT provides support, resources, advocacy, and legal representation, all for FREE.