“Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of the individuals to live independently, enjoy self-determination, make choices, contribute to society, pursue meaningful careers, and integration in the economical, political, social, cultural and educational mainstream of American society.” – 1992 Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act
The Arc of Buffalo County advocates for the rights of citizens with developmental disabilities and their families. – adopted September 1, 2005
The Arc of Buffalo County provides encouragement, respite activities, information and networking opportunities to local families who have children with disabilities. For example, The Arc of Buffalo County helps sponsor the annual Adaptive Easter Egg Hunt. We believe that families can have a huge impact both in their child’s lives and also in their community by getting involved in local, state, and national advocacy efforts. Families are encouraged to visit The Arc of Nebraska and Arc of the United States to stay abreast on advocacy issues and to get involved with these efforts. Advocacy will be approached differently by each family, and the Arc of Buffalo County wants to promote efforts that improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families.
In addition, the Arc of Buffalo County provides parents with information such as upcoming conferences that address needs within particular disabilities. We also share information on local parent support group meetings, such as the ASK (Autism Spectrum of Kearney) parent group or the newly formed Down’s Syndrome Parent Support Group. If you are involved in a parent support group and would like the Arc of share this information, please notify our office. Parent support groups can be a very helpful support system for families going through the disability journey.
The following web sites also contain helpful information for parents with special needs children in Nebraska. Go to PTI Nebraska at http://www.pti-nebraska.org/
or visit Answers for Families at http://www.answers4families. Discussion groups can be accessed at Answers for Families by hitting the tab under features.