In This Issue:
  • What Do You Think? The Arc Needs Your Opinion
  • Win a Trip to The Arc’s National Convention
  • Free Back-to-school Supplies
  • Disability Pride: Access For All
  • An Advocacy Victory
What Do You Think About Peer Support?

If you are a person with a disability or a family member, we have a question for you. Would you like and use peer support through The Arc – JCCGC?
 
A peer is someone like you, and peer support is when someone who has done well helps others do well too. It’s people using their own experiences to support and help others. This peer support would be in addition to the advocacy you already know at The Arc and would not replace any existing services.
 
To learn what you think about this new peer support concept, we are having conversations called focus groups. There are three ways you can participate. You can attend a focus group at The Arc’s office, attend virtually online, or complete a survey. For those who attend in person, we will provide a light dinner. 
 
Focus Group Options:
 
  • Wednesday, August 7 at 5:30 p.m. (in-person) during the regular People First meeting – ALL Self Advocates are welcome!
 
  • Monday, August 12 at 3:00 p.m. (virtual) for Self-Advocates
 
  • Thursday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m. (in-person) for Family Members*
 
  • Monday, August 12 at 5:30 p.m. (virtual) for Family Members
 
Each focus group is 90 minutes. The Zoom link for virtual meetings will be sent after you register. 
 
To register for a focus group or fill out a survey if you cannot attend one of the in-person or virtual meetings, click here.
 
*On-site care will be available for family members with and without disabilities at the in-person focus group on August 8. Simply indicate that you need this support in order to fully participate.
Four people smiling and laughing in a conference setting with blue and beige walls
Win a Trip to The Arc's National Convention

If you are a teen or adult with IDD, you can win a free trip to The Arc’s National Convention. This year the convention will be held in Columbus, Ohio from November 1 through November 3. At the convention, you will hear great speakers, make new friends from around the country, and have a fabulous time!
 
The Arc - JCCGC will cover the eligible expense of the winner and one support person of their choice. Eligible expenses include airfare, hotel (October 31 – November 3 only), registration fees (including the Self-Advocacy Council’s Symposium), and local host event. More details are available on the entry form.
 
You are eligible to enter the drawing if you are someone with IDD and are able to attend the convention. Entries are due by midnight Thursday, August 2 and will take less than two minutes to complete. Click here and fill out the entry form for your chance to win!
 
Two winners will be selected by random drawing from all eligible entries.
 
For more information on the convention itself, click here.
 
We hope to see you in Columbus!
A collage of people with disabilities featuring Disability Pride Month text and rainbow colored stripes.
Disability Pride: Access For All

Positive changes for everyone with disabilities were partly brought about by the Olmstead Act (click here for more information). This Act upheld that people with disabilities have the right to access publicly funded services in the most integrated settings possible.
 
One of the most notable public services is employment. Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) supports people with disabilities having access to employment. For more information and resources about CIE, click here.
 
The City of Lakewood has the Access Lakewood Program to ensure that all the city’s programs, services, activities, and facilities are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Click here for more information.
 
If you're not familiar with the full range of disability services offered by Jefferson County, Click here for more information. Gilpin County residents, click here for information on programs in your county and Clear Creek County residents, click here.
 
With this year’s 25th anniversary of the Olmstead Act combined with Disability Pride Month, it is a great time to learn more about, reflect on, and celebrate the strides towards access and advocacy for everyone with disabilities.
 
Finally, remember there are two Disability Pride events happening this weekend that you might be interested in attending.
 
The Center on Colfax
The Center on Colfax is hosting a free Disability Pride Month event on Saturday, July 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here for more information.
 
Clyfford Still Museum
On Sunday, July 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., you can head to the Clyfford Still Museum, where they are hosting a free Disability Pride Month event for everyone. For more information, click here.
A boy with Down syndrome smiling with other children in school uniforms and backpacks in the background
Free School Supplies

This time of year always brings a little bit of wonder – how is summer break almost over? You have likely noticed that back-to-school supplies are already stocked on store shelves.
 
However, not everyone can afford the cost of these supplies for their children. School supplies for K-12 grades reportedly cost around $142 per child nationally but even more in Denver at $175 per child.
 
If your family needs help with school supplies, The Action Center is ready to assist. Kids attending Jeffco schools can receive free school supplies during The Action Center’s annual school supply distribution event in August. If your child does not attend a Jeffco school, contact 211 for additional resources.
 
You MUST register to get an appointment for the school supply distribution. Registration will remain open until all slots are filled. If you need school supplies, register as soon as possible as they have a limited number of slots still available. You can also call 211 to locate other resources.
 
To register to receive school supplies and to get more information about the distribution dates and location, click here.
 
REMEMBER – AN APPOINTMENT IS REQUIRED!
 
If you would like to donate to The Action Center to help purchase school supplies, click here for more information on the items needed and the best way to donate.
An Advocacy Victory

It is hard to even talk about, but the use of electric shock devices on people with disabilities is still allowed in Massachusetts. Thanks to The Arc’s fight against this practice at the Judge Rotenberg Center, significant progress was made last week to finally end it.
 
In a bipartisan agreement, members of Congress voted to remove a harmful provision from the Appropriations bill that would have allowed the continued abuse of people with disabilities by electric shock devices. As one member of the Appropriations Committee put it, “The removal of this language will come as a great relief to the disability community, which has worked so hard to make sure that every member of the committee heard their opposition.”
 
All that’s left is for the Food and Drug Administration to finalize the rule that bans these devices once and for all. Thanks to advocates from The Arc, the finish line is closer than ever! If you would like to see a post about this victory on The Arc’s feed, click here.