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The project is part of a larger effort by Arc to serve children <br /> and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. <br /> Arc Anoka, Ramsey and Suburban is an advocacy organization <br /> consisting of people with developmental disabilities, parents, <br /> professionals and concerned citizens of the communities we serve. <br /> The agency has a membership of over 1,600 and serves over 16,000 <br /> people yearly. Arc is committed to building inclusive <br /> communities and providing advocacy and support for people with <br /> developmental disabilities and their families. Developmental <br /> disabilities include conditions such as Autism; Cerebral Palsy; <br /> Epilepsy; Metal Retardation and other related conditions. <br /> Arc is a nationwide disability rights organization with the major <br /> focus at the local or grassroots level. There are approximately <br /> 1600 local chapters generally organized by county. The Arc Anoka <br /> and Are Ramsey Boards voted to pursue a merger of the two <br /> agencies. After further study and communication with members, <br /> the Boards and members approved a merger February 27, 1995. <br /> After a similar process the Boards and members voted to merge Arc <br /> Suburban into the Arc of Anoka and Ramsey Counties effective <br /> January 1, 2000. A key component of the merger agreement was to <br /> maintain offices in each county or area and continue to provide <br /> quality services for members in each community. <br /> Arc provides a variety of services for people in Ramsey and Anoka <br /> counties including: <br /> Family Services - The goal of this program is to empower parents <br /> and guardians by providing them with opportunities to network <br /> with other parents to reduce feelings of stress and isolation, <br /> and to gain skills and information needed to parent their child <br /> with a disability. This is accomplished through: support groups; <br /> Pilot Parent network linking parents "who have been there" with <br /> parents experiencing crisis or emotional stress; information and <br /> referral; individual consultation; individual advocacy and <br /> conflict resolution. <br /> Community Awareness and Planning - The goal of this program is to <br /> increase the awareness of community members regarding <br /> disabilities and the lives of people with disabilities and to <br /> help communities welcome and include people with disabilities and <br /> prevent discrimination. Services include: consultation with <br /> schools and other community agencies on including people with <br /> developmental disabilities; presentations to school children and <br /> community groups on developmental disabilities; membership on <br /> local and state advisory and planning committees to insure <br /> policies are supportive of families and people with disabilities; <br /> public awareness events; volunteer speaker's bureau; monitoring <br /> public policy. <br /> 6 <br />