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The Arc in Nevada and People First of Nevada Announce New Joint Venture

Reno, NV – The Arc in Nevada and People First of Nevada are proud to announce a new joint venture funded by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (DD). This exciting project aims to provide people with developmental disabilities living in the state of Nevada with information and skills necessary to participate in advocacy and policy making decisions through expanding an effective statewide self-advocacy organization – People First of Nevada – that is led by people with developmental disabilities.

The Arc has years of experience creating movements of social change, and training people with DD in ways that supports their lives. In 2011, The Arc created the National Council of Self Advocates in response to the need to fully include people with DD to guide The Arc’s direction and to provide self-advocacy training, leadership development, and opportunities to be part of a national self-advocacy movement that is grounded in local and state grassroots efforts. This effort in Nevada is a natural extension of those efforts.

“People First is excited to join forces with The Arc in Nevada and to start new ventures together,” said Santa Perez, Self-Advocacy Coordinator for The Arc in Nevada.

People First of Nevada is a self-advocacy group run by and for individuals with developmental differences throughout Nevada. People First works to support the reality that people with developmental disabilities have the right to make their own decisions and to live self-determined lives.

This joint project will include efforts to recruit and engage new people with DD to the Nevada self-advocacy movement. Participants will be provided with leadership training and have opportunities to develop new self-advocacy skills and be among the upcoming generation of new leaders. This training will provide information on how to grow an organization in financial terms, and also in terms of solid leadership and governance strategies.

The Arc in Nevada is funded by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities to support expanding the capacity of People First of Nevada as a strong, sustainable organization able to expand the leadership and impact of self-advocates (people with developmental disabilities) in their communities across Nevada.

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The Arc Announces New Office in Nevada to Serve People with Disabilities and Their Families

Washington, DC – This month, The Arc of the United States announced the launch of the “Growing a Grassroots Advocacy Movement” project in Nevada. This program, funded by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and The Arc of the United States, will work to develop long-term capacity for advocates to have input and impact on issues of importance to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

The launch of this project will mark the first time The Arc will have a statewide presence in Nevada since the mid-nineties. Specifically this project will train individuals with developmental disabilities and members of their families on how to impact disability policy at the local, regional and state levels, culminating in a grassroots campaign. The training, called Partners Plus, will be conducted across the state, targeting graduates of previous Nevada Partners in Policymaking classes.

“The Arc is very excited about this opportunity to serve Nevada on a statewide level for the first time in over a decade. This is a wonderful chance to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their family members, to be advocates and influence disability policy right in their own backyard,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.

In addition to the Partners Plus program, The Arc in Nevada will expand efforts to support individuals with IDD and their families through new chapter recruitment, grassroots advocacy development, and collaborative efforts with communities across Nevada.

This project will be staffed by a new member of The Arc’s team, Nicole Schomberg. Nicole is a parent of a child with developmental disabilities, and has extensive experience working with families and self-advocates in Nevada.

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Growing a Grassroots Advocacy Movement in Nevada

The Arc is happy to announce the launch of the “Growing a Grassroots Advocacy Movement” project in Nevada! This exciting new opportunity is being funded by the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. The Arc in Nevada will work to develop long-term capacity for advocates to have input and impact on issues of importance to people with developmental disabilities and their families.

With the launch of this new program, The Arc will have a statewide presence in Nevada for the first time since the mid-nineties. The project will train individuals with developmental disabilities and family members on how to impact disability policy at the local, regional and state levels, culminating in a grassroots campaign.

The training, called Partners Plus, will be conducted across the state, targeting graduates of previous Nevada Partners in Policymaking classes. This project will work to train people with disabilities and their families (parents, siblings, grandparents, other family members), primarily those who have previously completed the original Partner in Policymaking classes. Participants from The Arc in Nevada’s programs will develop a legislative advocacy platform with specific actions during the 2013 Nevada legislative session. In an effort to develop lasting impact of the trainings, some participants will work to train others in their local communities, involving advocates at all levels in the execution of the legislative platform and advocacy agenda.

In addition to the Partners Plus program, The Arc in Nevada will expand efforts to support individuals with IDD and their families through new chapter recruitment, grassroots advocacy development, and collaborative efforts with communities across Nevada.

This project will be staffed by a new member of The Arc team, Nicole Schomberg. Nicole has expertise in advocate engagement and community outreach. Most recently, Nicole worked to coordinate previous Partners in Policymaking programs in the state. Additionally, Nicole is a parent of a child with developmental disabilities, and has extensive experience working with families and self-advocates in Nevada.