Learn our History

 

A Legacy Built by Families.

A Movement Sustained by Advocacy.

Seventy-five years of progress didn’t happen by accident.

In 1950, families across the country — including here in Michigan

— were told to accept exclusion for their loved ones with

intellectual and developmental disabilities. They were told

institutions were the only option. That dignity, education, and

opportunity were out of reach.

 

 

They refused to accept that future.

What began as parents coming together to demand something

better grew into The Arc-Michigan — one of the most influential

disability advocacy movements in the nation. In Michigan,

that movement helped reshape education, civil rights, community

living, and public policy, ensuring people with disabilities

could live fuller lives in their own communities.

 

Over the decades, The Arc Michigan has stood at critical moments of change:

  • When children with disabilities were denied access to public education
  • When families fought for community-based services instead of institutions