July is Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month. You can read all about it here on the website of The People’s ARC of Suffolk. Its purpose is to “celebrate disability identity and community, mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and push for full inclusion in everyday life. The 2026 theme is ‘The World Works Better With Us.’”
Inspiring Moments: History of ARC and the ADA
ARC has been advancing the dignity and potential of folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 75 years, making it the largest and one of the oldest organizations of its kind. It started in 1949 when “a two-line classified ad in the New York Post ignited the spark that brought together a small group of parents. What began as a modest response soon evolved into a powerful movement, fueled by word of mouth and compelling news coverage. Within a year, this heartfelt call united hundreds of determined parents.”
You can read more here, on the founding chapter’s website, including a timeline of accomplishments and a far more detailed scholarly review.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has its own storied history, climaxing at a poignant moment on March 12, 1990 in Washington DC. There, a group of 1000 disabled activists had come to protest the “crawling pace” of stalled legislation by eschewing their wheelchairs and climbing the Capitol Stairs.
Among them was Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, a girl with Cerebral Palsy who had been among demonstrators since she was six and already arrested for doing so by 7. In between, she’d experienced the indignity of being refused restaurant service because the establishment felt clientele would find their eating distasteful.
Although discouraged by others in the advocacy world, because they feared she would elicit pity rather than a sense of empowerment, 8-year old Jennifer determined that she was going to have her generation represented and insisted upon making the climb.
While we can never be entirely sure what moves a nation, the act received meaningful coverage, and seemed to make a profound impact. Four months later, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law, revolutionizing nearly every aspect of life for folks with disabilities.
You can read more about Jennifer here. There’s a children’s book and a statue. Folks hope that work of art someday gets to visit Long Island. Even moreso, they hope we’ll not take these advances for granted, and recognize that when we serve folks with different abilities, we’re serving everyone.
The Arc
You can check out the national organization here. There are now 549 chapters covering 42 states. On Long Island, the organization has had a rich history with chapters in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
In addition to passionate advocacy, the key objective is to maximize individuals’ independence at home and in the community through varied services and programs. They’ve changed a lot over the years, both internally and externally as they’ve championed progress and learned better themselves, All the while, they’ve maintained the spirit of love and community among folks of all abilities that brought them together in the first place.
Person-Centered, Community Oriented: The People’s Arc of Suffolk
Along with its well-established array of services, including employment opportunities, education programs, and community engagement, the newly renamed “People’s Arc of Suffolk” is “expanding the creative outlets available to people of all abilities.”
Among its recent highlights, we were delighted to see folks of the Spirit of Huntington collaborate with the Suffolk Chapter to assist the rebranding to better reflect the modern organization, and to establish with them a new ARC Performing Arts Center in Northport. There, folks may explore theater, music, dance, visual art and video production. This includes a new podcast called “The People’s Artist.”
There are now eight Suffolk locations in total, including an art community in Westhampton Beach, a vocational community in Bohemia and a nature and horticulture community in West Sayville. Spirit of Huntington is excited to be so closely involved, especially in Northport, bringing their rich experience in the arts to serve the venerable organization.
To Spirit of Huntington Executive Director, Michael Kitakis, it’s all about community, and folks finding their strengths and sharing them. “The concept that we’re recognizing is that we can’t do everything ourselves. Why would we? Spirit of Huntington has been focused on the arts and their application for 15 years. We are delighted to bring this expertise to The People’s Arc of Suffolk.”
Get Involved
Visit the website, learn more, and get involved!
If you’d like to consider a career with The People’s Arc, you may explore opportunities here.
