Arc of the United States
A United States nonprofit organization advocating for and supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Arc of the United States is a national nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their families, and the communities and professionals that support them. It combines public-policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, public education, training, and practical support resources. The organization operates through a network of state and local chapters rather than as a conventional commercial brand. As of 2025, its network included chapters in 549 cities and in every U.S. state except Maine. The organization emerged from parent-led activism. In 1950, parent groups from around the country met in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to establish a national association focused on improving community services and advancing civil rights for people with developmental disabilities. Its institutional predecessors used language that was common in mid-twentieth-century American public life but later became recognized as stigmatizing. The national organization was known as the National Association of Parents and Friends of Retarded Children, then the National Association for Retarded Citizens from 1973 to 1981, and the Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States from 1981 to 1992. In 1992 it adopted the name The Arc, reflecting a deliberate move away from the pejorative terminology contained in its previous name. The Arc's policy agenda has included Medicaid, Social Security, health care, special education, employment, accessibility, and protection from discrimination and abuse. It has participated in coalitions supporting major disability-rights measures, including the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, later known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, and Rosa's Law. Its advocacy also addresses stigma, ableist language, and barriers to integrated employment and community participation. The organization provides or coordinates educational and professional resources through programs such as Arc@School, which explains special-education rights and IDEA requirements in accessible language, and the National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD). Established in 2013 with support from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, NCCJD develops training and resources for justice professionals and information for people with disabilities who encounter the criminal-justice system as victims, witnesses, suspects, defendants, or detainees. The Arc also supports family and community participation through its National Convention, which brings together people with IDD, relatives, professionals, and advocates. It oversees Wings for Autism and Wings for All, airport-practice initiatives conducted with airports, airlines, and security partners so travelers with autism and other developmental disabilities can rehearse the stages of air travel in a structured setting. The Arc is funded through a combination of charitable contributions, membership dues from state and local chapters, and government grants, contracts, and fees. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and remains an active national voice for inclusion, self-determination, equal opportunity, and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
History
The organizational roots of The Arc extend to parent-led efforts formed before the national association. The Children's Benevolent League, incorporated in Washington state in 1936, is identified as the earliest organization that later became a chapter of The Arc. These early groups were created by parents who sought services, education, and social opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities at a time when institutionalization and exclusion were widespread. In 1950, parent organizations from across the United States met in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to create a national body originally called the National Association of Parents and Friends of Retarded Children. Its central purpose was to expand community services and advance the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The association helped connect local activism with national policy work, giving families a collective platform to challenge exclusion from schools, employment, public programs, and community life. During the 1960s, the organization opened a Governmental Affairs office in Washington, D.C. This marked a more sustained emphasis on federal advocacy, including issues involving education, income support, health care, and public services. The organization also developed a national convention that brought together families, professionals, advocates, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. President John F. Kennedy addressed the National Convention in 1963, reflecting the growing national visibility of developmental-disability advocacy. The organization changed its name to the National Association for Retarded Citizens in 1973 and to the Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States in 1981. These names retained terminology that was increasingly challenged by disability advocates and families. In 1992, the organization adopted the name The Arc, a change intended to reject the derogatory meaning associated with the former terminology while preserving the identity of its chapter network. The Arc participated in national coalitions supporting the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the federal law that established important educational rights for children with disabilities and was later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It also supported the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibited disability discrimination across employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. Later advocacy included the ABLE Act of 2014, which enabled eligible people with disabilities and their families to use tax-advantaged accounts for qualified expenses, and Rosa's Law, which replaced outdated statutory terminology with language referring to intellectual disability. In the twenty-first century, The Arc broadened its programmatic work beyond legislative advocacy. It developed accessible special-education guidance through Arc@School and established the National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability in 2013 with support from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance. The center addresses the needs of people with disabilities involved in the criminal-justice system and provides training for justice professionals. The organization also expanded practical inclusion initiatives, including Wings for Autism and Wings for All, which allow travelers with autism and other IDDs to practice airport and airline procedures before taking an actual flight. The Arc currently functions as a national network of state and local chapters. Its work combines federal policy advocacy with community-level programs and public education. As of 2025, the network was reported to have chapters in 549 cities and in every U.S. state except Maine. Its continuing priorities include Medicaid and health-care access, special education, Social Security, employment, freedom from discrimination, criminal-justice fairness, and the ability of people with IDD to live and participate in their communities.
- 2025
National chapter network reported across 549 cities
[1]The organization was reported to operate chapters in 549 cities and in every U.S. state except Maine.
- 2014
Supported the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act
[1]The Arc participated in advocacy coalitions supporting the ABLE Act, which created tax-advantaged savings accounts for eligible people with disabilities.
- 2013
National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability established
[1]The Arc established NCCJD with support from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide criminal-justice training and resources related to people with disabilities.
- 1992
Adopted The Arc name
[1]The organization adopted its present identity, The Arc, to move away from the stigmatizing terminology used in its earlier names.
- 1981
Renamed Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States
[1]The organization changed its name again to Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States.
- 1973
Renamed National Association for Retarded Citizens
[1]The national organization adopted the name National Association for Retarded Citizens.
- 1963
John F. Kennedy addressed the National Convention
[1]President John F. Kennedy was among the notable historical speakers at The Arc's National Convention.
- 1960
Governmental Affairs office opened
[1]The organization established a Governmental Affairs office in Washington, D.C., strengthening its national policy and legislative advocacy.
- 1950
National parent-led association established
[1]Parent groups from across the United States met in Minneapolis and formally organized the National Association of Parents and Friends of Retarded Children, the predecessor of The Arc.
- 1936
Children's Benevolent League incorporated
[1]The Children's Benevolent League was incorporated in Washington state and later became part of the organizational history of The Arc's chapter network.
Products and positioning
A parent-founded, nationwide disability-advocacy network focused on civil rights, inclusion, community services, family support, and practical resources for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Special-education information and training
Arc@School
Arc@School provides plain-language information, training, and practical resources about special-education rights and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is designed to help families, educators, and advocates understand the processes and protections associated with obtaining a free appropriate public education for children with disabilities.
Criminal-justice training and resources · 2013
National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability
The National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability develops training and information for justice professionals and resources for people with disabilities who interact with the criminal-justice system. Its coverage includes people who are victims, witnesses, suspects, defendants, or detainees, with an emphasis on improving understanding and access across the justice process.
Airport travel-rehearsal program
Wings for Autism
Wings for Autism is an airport-practice initiative that gives people with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities an opportunity to rehearse airport procedures before taking a flight. The program is conducted with participating airports, airlines, security personnel, and other travel partners.
Inclusive air-travel program
Wings for All
Wings for All extends the organization's air-travel preparation model to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Participants practice elements of the airport and airline experience in a supported setting intended to reduce uncertainty and improve travel accessibility.
Advocacy and professional convening
National Convention
The Arc's National Convention brings together people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, professionals, and advocates to discuss policy, services, rights, and community inclusion. It has also served as a public platform for prominent speakers and national disability-policy discussions.
Marketing campaigns
- National Medicaid advocacy
United States
The Arc conducts national and grassroots advocacy concerning Medicaid, including access to health care and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Special-education and IDEA advocacy
United States
The organization advocates for special-education rights and supports public understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act through policy work and Arc@School resources.
- Anti-stigma and inclusive-employment advocacy
United States
The Arc conducts public-awareness and advocacy work opposing ableist slurs, stigma, and discrimination, while promoting better employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
- Wings for Autism and Wings for All
United States
These airport-based initiatives work with airlines, airports, and security partners to help people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities prepare for air travel.
Brand decisions
2013
Creation of the National Center on Criminal Justice and DisabilityStrategyBackground
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities can encounter the criminal-justice system in multiple roles and may face barriers to communication, accommodation, and fair treatment.
Action taken
The Arc established NCCJD with support from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance to develop professional training and resources for people with disabilities.
Aftermath
Criminal-justice accessibility and disability competency became a distinct area of the organization's national program work.
1992
Adoption of The Arc identityStrategyBackground
The organization's previous names contained terminology that had become widely recognized as derogatory and stigmatizing toward people with intellectual disabilities.
Action taken
The national organization adopted the shorter name The Arc, removing the contested terminology from its public identity.
Aftermath
The new identity aligned the organization with changing disability-rights language while retaining its national chapter network and advocacy mission.
Sources2 sources
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