Who We Are

• Parent groups throughout the country meet in Minneapolis, MN in 1950 to organize the Arc of the United States
• The Arc of Pueblo was formed in 1957 and began lobbying for a special education programs. Dr. Raymond Taibi was brought in to help organize programs
• The Arc/US becomes the first organization to put money into research on intellectual and developmental disabilities,
• The Arc of Pueblo becomes formally established as 501 (circled C) 3 non profit in April 1962. The meetings were held at the YMCA and later moved to the City-County Health Department. The Arc of Pueblo organizes swimming lesson, Christmas parties and scout troops. In 1963 the Pilot Arts and Crafts center was established in the basement on St. Paul United Methodist church. The Center moved to 3801 Thatcher and eventually became what is now known as Pueblo Diversified Industries (PDI)
• The Arc/US opens a Governmental Affairs Office in Washington, D.C.
• Large numbers of people began to leave institutions as services for people with disabilities emerge within communities. The Arc of Pueblo pushes for the creation of Community Based residential programs. As a result, The community centered  boards were created. Pueblo County’s local CCB now known as Colorado Bluesky Ent

• The Arc of Pueblo joined parents nationally and were key players in the enactment of Public Law 94-192, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which guarantees a free appropriate public education for all children with disabilities. In addition to influencing public education changes and establishing PDI, The Arc of Pueblo also created the College for Living to teach everyday living skills such as money management and keeping healthy.
• The Arc advocates for the creation of the Supplemental Security Income program to provide income for persons with severe disabilities.
• The Arc helps pass a national housing law that established the Section 8 Assisted Housing program to meet the housing needs of low income families and individuals with disabilities.
• The Arc funded Dr. Robert Guthrie who found a treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU).
• The Arc works with other organizations to push for the establishment of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and passage of the Developmental Disabilities Act.
• The Arc publishes groundbreaking study about infant under-nutrition as a cause of developmental disabilities and holds a major conference on the links between poverty and developmental disabilities.
• The Arc launches a national campaign to support research in the area of prevention and detection of preventable causes of Down Syndrome.
• With research funding from The Arc, Kenneth Jones, M.D., defines the disorder Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

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• The Arc works with other organizations to push for the establishment of the Medicaid programs and passage of the Developmental Disabilities Act.
• The Arc publishes a groundbreaking study about infant under-nutrition as a cause of developmental disabilities and holds a major conference on the links between poverty and developmental disabilities.
• The Arc of Pueblo begins their guardianship program to help parents who need to petition for guardianship when their child turns 18. The Arc of Pueblo also begins to serve as legal guardians for those who do not have family members able to serve.
• The Arc launches a national campaign to support research in the area of prevention and detection of preventable causes of Down Syndrome.
• The Arc helps create the Civil Rights for Institutional Persons Act which gives the U.S. Justice Department statutory authority to protect the rights of institutionalized individuals.

• The Arc helps create the Supported Employment program within the Rehabilitation Act.
• The Arc champions the “Baby Doe” Amendment to protect newborns with disabilities from being denied life saving medical treatment.
• The Arc presses Congress to allow home and community-based waiver options under Medicaid.
• The Arc of Pueblo supports the negotiated deal with school authorities to amend the Education of the Handicapped Act to provide services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities.
• The Arc of Pueblo becomes fiscal agent of the local Part C grant to serve infants and toddlers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• The Arc is involved in creating several work incentives in the Social Security Act to allow more individuals with disabilities to work.
• The Arc successfully pushed Congress to add disability as a protected class under the Fair Housing Act.
• The Arc sponsors a national prevention campaign and convenes a national conference on prevention of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• The Arc of Pueblo demands changes in the use of restraints and other inhumane treatment of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “Carpet wraps” will no longer be used
• The Arc is a leader among national disability groups to advocate for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act.
• The Arc helped create a Medicaid buy-in option for families whose income is somewhat higher than the basic eligibility ceiling.
• The Arc of Pueblo discovers discrepancies in the implementation of the Community Service Living Waiver (CSLA). The Attorney General’s office begins an investigation. The State implements new quality controls and Statewide service rates.
• The Arc launches a national media and advertising campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

• The Arc participated at key points in the drafting of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
• The Arc of Pueblo was instrumental in changing the guardianship laws in Colorado after a developmentally disabled woman at the Pueblo Regional Center becomes pregnant. Guardians now go through a credit and background check.
• The Arc and Arc Link launch the National FindFamily Registry, an online database that will help families reconnect with formerly institutionalized family members who they lost touch with long ago.
• The Arc played a key role in stopping huge Medicaid cuts and worked to expand Medicaid supports for low and middle-income families.
• The Arc won expanded provisions in the individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Higher Education Act that will help students move from public schooling to higher education, employment and adult life.
• The Arc established the National Housing Trust Fund to provide over 50,000 new public housing vouchers for people with disabilities.
• The Arc, in collaboration with the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a book highlighting challenges to achieving government’s promise to people with disabilities.
• The Arc leads a national effort denouncing the negative portrayal of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the feature film, “Tropic Thunder.” Thousands of self-advocates, disability rights activists and families joined The Arc’s Rally for Respect campaign in demonstration across the country to fight hate speech.