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The Waterbury Arc Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that was founded in 1950 by a group of concerned parents who wanted appropriate educational and vocational services for their children with mental retardation. It was incorporated in 1952 as the “Parents and Friends of Retarded Children”, and was later renamed the “Waterbury Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc” (WARC), as a local chapter of the National Association for Retarded Citizens.
The Waterbury Arc is governed by a
voluntary Board of Directors
representing parents, advocates,
consumers, and professional, business
and community leaders.
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2008 Board of Directors
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PRESIDENT
Marcy Kane, Ph.D.
VICE PRESIDENT
Attorney Jason Hyjek
SECRETARY
Michael Annenberg
TREASURER
Mary White
ALTERNATE SECRETARY
Attorney Thomas V. Riley
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Mark Brennan
DIRECTORS
Barbara Dowling
Carmela Guerrera
Richard Kalcznski
Agnes McCarthy R.N.
Louise Varanelli R.N.
Patricia Varanelli
Gary Williams
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Over the years, The Waterbury Arc has
grown and expanded to serve the needs of
persons with intellectual disabilities
in Waterbury, Bethlehem, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, Plymouth, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury. It
strives to offer numerous opportunities
by providing updated services and
innovative programs, thereby encouraging
each individual to reach their full
potential.
“Mental Retardation” is a medical or legal term used to define a disability that occurs before the age of 18. It is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills. It is diagnosed through the use of standardized tests of intelligence and adaptive behavior. Mental retardation is generally thought to be present if an individual has an IQ test score of approximately 70 or below and a significant deficit in at least one area of adaptive behavior (AAMR, 2002). Studies have shown that somewhere between 1% to 3% of Americans has mental retardation, depending upon how they are counted. Based on IQ score alone, the percentages would be closer to 3%. Many adults who have been diagnosed with mental retardation live wonderfully independent and productive lives.
In the 1990’s, a nationwide effort was launched to remove the term “mental retardation” from the names of National, State and Local Chapters of the Association for Retarded Citizens. The organization and its chapters are now known as “The Arc”. The Arc advocates the use of the phrase intellectual disabilities or cognitive disabilities as the preferred term when describing a person with the diagnosis of Mental Retardation. No one should be hurt, embarrassed or excluded by being called “retarded”. Unfortunately, the word has come into common use as a means to insult others, or to belittle or degrade them. Advocacy groups also promote the use of People First language, language that puts the person before the disability; as in ‘the man with blindness’ as opposed to ‘the blind man’. When putting the person first, it eliminates the invisible barrier that is created by identifying with a disability instead of the person.
The Waterbury Arc is a local chapter of
The Arc of Connecticut and The Arc of
the United States. Other affiliations
include the The American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD),
Connecticut Association of Nonprofits,
and the Waterbury Regional Chamber of
Commerce.
Waterbury Arc is a qualified vendor for and funded in part by the Connecticut State Department of Developmental Disabilities, local
Boards of Education and the Bureau of
Rehabilitation Services. The Waterbury
Arc must rely on the generosity of
corporations, private foundations and
civic organizations to provide the
needed resources to expand services and
further its mission. Annual contributors include the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls, the Knights of Columbus, Hartford Archbishop's Annual Appeal, and the Walmart Foundation. As a membership
organization, The Waterbury Arc depends
on the general public for support
through annual memberships, tax
deductible donations, bequests, and even
car donations. 100% of the money raised
by The Waterbury Arc goes toward the
agency's programs and services. Call (203) 575-0707 for more information.
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