Dear Members and Participants of The Arc:
The Mission Statement of the Arc Fox Cities is to Utilize Advocacy, Respect, and Concern to empower all
people with disabilities to have the opportunity to choose and realize their goal of a full life and secure future.
This Mission Statement, along with the updated acronym for the Arc was adopted in 1992, at the same time
that the national ARC changed their name to the Arc of the United States. Prior to this the ARC stood for the
Association for Retarded Citizens of the United States.
We, like many others who work with and for individuals with disabilities, recognize the negative connotations
that words like ‘retarded’ and ‘retardation’ have when used to describe individuals with developmental or
intellectual disabilities and feel that it is important that we promote a more positive attitude, focusing on the
strengths and capabilities of all individuals. Additionally, the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign has
drawn additional attention to the dehumanizing and hurtful way that the “r-word” is used in society and
advocates the use of language that respects the dignity of individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities.
Although the “r-word” has not been associated with our name for many years, we recognize that in the minds
of many individuals, the acronym ‘Arc’ is still associated with the outdated name and the negative connotation
attached to the r-word. Because of this, the Executive Board of the Arc Fox Cities is considering potential new
names for the Arc Fox Cities. A subcommittee of the Executive Board, through a process involving board
members and Arc staff, presented three potential names at the last Executive Board meeting. Before we
make our final selection we wanted membership to have an opportunity to provide input and feedback
regarding the names under consideration. Please e-mail Sonia Barham at [email protected] with your
feedback.
Below are the proposed names:
SOAR Fox Cities: Empowering People of All Abilities – Support, Opportunities, Advocacy, and Respect
PACASO: Promoting Acceptance, Celebrating Abilities, Supporting Opportunities
CAPA: Celebrating Abilities & Promoting Acceptance
We would appreciate your feedback by May 23, 2014. A formal name change will not take effect until the
end of the year or beginning of 2015.
Sincerely,
The Executive Board
