The Arc carries out the mission and vision of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their parents and siblings.
In 1950, a small group of parents and other concerned individuals came together to act as voices for change. At the time, little was known about the condition of intellectual disabilities or its root causes. There were virtually no programs and activities in communities to assist in the development and care of children and adults with intellectual disabilities or to support families.
Like every parent of a child, the founding parents of The Arc wanted more for their children. They wanted their children to lead fulfilling lives out in the community and not shuttered away in dark institutions. It was in that spirit that The Arc was born.