Fighting for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
For 75 years, The Arc New York has been at the forefront of the fight for the civil rights and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Together, we have driven powerful change. But the fight isn’t over. The power of The Arc New York comes from families, self-advocates, dedicated staff, and committed community members working in partnership to demand a better world for people with I/DD. We need your voice today!
Advocacy Priorities
For decades, we have been driving policy to improve our system of supports and ensure civil rights and equitable opportunity for people with disabilities. Learn more about our current advocacy priorities, and what you can do to support them






Preserve Medicaid Funding!
Federal Medicaid funding is at risk! Services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are funded almost entirely by Medicaid. The Federal spending plan currently under discussion threatens cuts that would be devastating for people with disabilities and their families. We are mobilizing to preserve this essential funding, and we need your help!
Budget Advocacy
For more than a decade, New York state failed to make adequate investments to sustain the programs and services people with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on. Systemic underfunding has driven us into a critical staffing crisis and eroded New York’s system of supports for its citizens with I/DD.
Join us in advocating for the resources we need to ensure a stable system of high-quality supports and services for people with disabilities!
Advocacy Updates
The Arc New York provides regular updates on advocacy news, issues and calls to action. Sign up to receive them directly, or find archived updates here.
Our Position Statements
Position statements are used to inform The Arc’s public policy goals, as well as to provide the national platform of positions of The Arc for use by chapters at all levels of The Arc in its work – national, state, and local. The statements also serve to inform our constituency, stakeholders, media, and the general public on the prevailing organizational view on key issues.