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  • Participants who regularly go out in the community

    89%

  • Hours spent in the community

    20,000

  • Volunteers

    125

  • Program Participants

    300

Founded in 1948, The Arc of Philadelphia, through its volunteer board, staff and membership has led the way in protecting the rights of and promoting opportunities for children and adults with disabilities by advocating with and for all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to promote active citizenship, self-determination and full inclusion. The Arc of Philadelphia affiliated with The Arc of Pennsylvania and The Arc of the United States and is a member of the SpArc Philadelphia family of organizations.

The Arc of Philadelphia’s mission is to advocate with and for all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, to promote active citizenship, self-determination, and full inclusion.

 

The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access

People with cognitive disabilities have an equal right to technology and information access. A coalition of disability organizations and individuals asserted this right in a formal declaration, announced at the Thirteenth Annual Coleman Institute National Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology, held October 2, 2013, in Broomfield, Colorado.

We invite all of you to read this declaration, The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access, and to affirm your commitment to the equal rights of people with cognitive disabilities to technology and information access by endorsing it on the website.

 

Learn More About Us!

Did You See Us on the News?

We are so thrilled at SpArc Philadelphia to have great recent media coverage of our work. 

FYI Philly on 6ABC covered the SpArc studio at Cherry Street Pier, which is an extension of our Cultural Arts program. The working studio offers artistic freedom and economic opportunity for the adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities that we serve. The studio is also a marketplace, where visitors can purchase art and craft pieces from the artists, with the proceeds going back to the artists themselves. Artists experiment in a variety of media, including watercolor, charcoal, and spray paint, and make crafts, such as woven textiles, soap, magnets, and jewelry. 

Check out the clip from 6ABC here

Al Dia News recently covered our employment program, where we connect participants with disabilities with employment opportunities in the broader Philadelphia community. The reporter takes a look at an on-site assessment process for a candidate, as well as the steps that the staff of the employment program take to develop new jobs. The reporter also explores challenges in running an employment program, including the funding issues behind it. 

Read more from the Al Dia report here.