Purpose:
The Arc of Forsyth County supports and empowers individuals with developmental and related disabilities to live and participate fully within the community of their choice.

Triad First in Families:
A state funded project that provides financial support and resources access to qualified individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Advocacy:
The Arc offers direct advocacy and conflict resolution to individuals or family members who are challenged with discriminatory barriers and believe their rights may have been violated. We also advocate at the state level when funds that support people with disabilities are at risk for being reduced or eliminated.

We also sponsor a self-advocacy group. Piedmont Self-Advocates is a group of 12 adults with developmental disabilities who meet twice monthly to learn and experience various aspects of community living.

Representative Payee Services:
This support is provide to adults with developmental and emotional disabilities who receive benefits through Social Security Administration, and involves managing those benefits to ensure financial stability.

Education:
Throughout the year, we teach and sponsor educational and informative workshops that focus on topics such as education, transition, community inclusion, Social Security, guardianship, and other issues related to disabilities.

Information:
Callers and visitors receive answers to their questions about disabilities and related issues. We have a lending library on site, and we also distribute a weekly email newsletter “The Monday Messenger” that focuses on current legislative issues, human interest stories and includes a calendar of local and statewide events.

Membership:
Support through membership enables The Arc of Forsyth County to monitor local, state, and national progress made in areas of inclusion, such as employment, education, community living and recreation, and increases delegate votes at Arc conferences. Membership also helps us to develop and promote effective programs and services for persons with developmental disabilities and their families.

During the year, members are kept informed about disability issues through Action Alerts, referrals from our organization and correspondence from other local, state and national groups. Finally members received a 10% discount on merchandise sold by The Arc, and are given free advertising space in The Monday Messenger.

Outreach:
We connect to the community through our outreach programs. We offer sensitivity training and disability awareness workshops to all ages in order to create awareness of the physical and attitudinal barriers that disable so many community members.