Join us for free fun, fabulous games and terrific entertainment at the Neurodiversity Festival this Friday, June 23 from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Farmer's Market Pavilion and Plaza, located at 85 E. 8th St. in downtown Eugene.

Come celebrate the wonderful gifts and strengths that are abundant in our community at this amazing event. Admission is free, and there will be food trucks on site for people to purchase dinner and snacks and dine al fresco under the twinkling lights of the plaza.

Entertainment will be provided by Danceability International and Ballet Folklórico Colibrí.

Special thanks to the City of Eugene Cultural Services for sponsoring this event, and to the many community partners and volunteers who are making the event possible!

The Eugene Downtown Lions Club donated $26K to the Arc Park at its annual awards and installation dinner, held inside the Arc Park on June 15.

The Eugene Downtown Lions Club hosted events throughout the year to raise funds to donate to the park as part of its 100th anniversary legacy project.

The Arc Lane County would like to express its gratitude to all the Lions Club members, with special appreciation to Don Jones.

See Eugene Downtown Lions Club Donates $26,000 to Arc Park for Inclusive Playground Expansion to learn more.

Exciting update! Construction on the next phase of the Arc Park will start next month!

The next phase includes the toddler play area (including the accessible turf and fencing), construction of the main park entrance, as well as concrete pads for benches in the toddler area and completion of the sensory garden.

The Arc Lane County deeply appreciates the generous support of donors who have helped make this possible, including:

• Soeldner Campbell Fund of Oregon Community Foundation
• Emil W. and Lois E. Brammert Fund of Oregon Community Foundation
• Albert B. and Jean E. Hallstrom Family Fund of Oregon Community Foundation
•  Spirit Mountain Community Fund of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
•  Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation
• McKay Family Foundation
• Bob, Elaine and Derek Dolechek
• The Swanson Group
• Eugene Downtown Lions Club
• Springfield Lithia Toyota & Toyota Motor Corporation
• Skeie's Jewelers

Be sure to "like" the Arc Park Springfield on Facebook to see construction updates this summer.

Renae and Heather have been able to stay in touch despite the miles that separate them, thanks to email and the technology coaching Renae has received at The Arc Lane County.

Earlier this year, Comcast awarded The Arc Lane County a grant to expand its Tech Coaching Center to advance digital equity for people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Read Renae's story to see how she has been using email to stay connected with Heather and how she is feeling more connected and less isolated as a result.

Come meet friends, have fun and and share stories at Self Advocacy Bingo, starting at 5:30 p.m. on June 30 at the Hilyard Community Center.

Attendees will enjoy free pizza and play bingo while learning about the history of the disability rights movement.

This event is hosted by the Community Advocacy Council and sponsored by the University of Oregon Center on Human Development.

The state of Oregon is updating its crisis care guidelines.

When many people need healthcare at once, there may not be enough hospital beds, supplies or staff to care for everyone. This can happen during emergencies, such as a pandemic or natural disaster.

The Oregon Resource Allocation Advisory Committee (ORAAC) will review how decisions are made during emergencies and will provide recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on how to care for patients during emergencies.

Community feedback is wanted on the different options being considered. Learn more about the Resource Allocation Options, and then take this survey to weigh in by June 26.

KindTree-Autism Rocks is now accepting art submissions for its 2023 Autism Artism Festival of Art for All to be held on Aug. 12 inside the Arc Park.

People of all ages are encouraged to submit their artwork across a variety of mediums including painting, photography, computer drawings, anime, videos, pencil scribbles and more.

Send an email to KindTree-Autism Rocks to request an art submission form.

The City of Eugene wants to hear from community members about the need for multicultural programs, spaces and offerings.

Multicultural programs are important because they foster a sense of belonging for diverse and historically underrepresented communities while contributing to the well-being of the greater community

Take the MultiCultural Needs Survey by June 30 to share your feedback.

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are pre-diabetic or who have type 2 diabetes are invited to participate in a Research Project with Cognitopia.

The project will focus on developing a person-centered approach to self-managing diabetes using Cognitopia software tools. Participants will take four weeks of free online classes and learn how to live healthy with type 2 diabetes. There will also be opportunities for fun and socializing with others.

Interested? Complete this online form to see if you qualify for this research project.