FINDS Data Report
In 1961, President Kennedy took action to bring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) “out of the shadows” and improve their lives. About that same time, The Arc coalesced into a strong and sustained national movement to promote and protect the rights of people with I/DD. Fifty years later, The Arc wondered just how far we had come. We set out to find the answer to that question and a host of other questions about the lives of people with I/DD through a massive online survey called Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS).
The Arc released the topline results from that groundbreaking assessment of more than 5,000 individuals, family members and caregivers today in a report called Still in the Shadows with Their Future Uncertain. The report, available now online, outlines some of the most impressive data we gathered about the unmet needs of this population – needs that are unnecessarily keeping them in the shadows of our society along with a detailed call to action for those involved in our movement, our political leaders and people of good conscience everywhere to change the status quo. As it should be, our national network of more than 700 chapters will be at the forefront leading this reinvigorated movement of those who respond to this call.
We invite you to read and share this report, find out more in the technical report and data tables online, and identify the opportunities in our call to action for your Chapter to get involved and make a difference. If you have questions or would like more information about what The Arc is doing nationally in light of this new information, please visit our website.
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