The Arc Oregon

05/29/2026

📆 SAVE THE DATE: November 18-20, 2026

We have exciting news: The Arc of the United States National Convention is coming to Portland, OR!

The Arc's National Convention brings members of the IDD community together from across the entire United States.

Self-advocates, supporters, professionals, and family members are all invited to attend this three-day conference.

We will share more information about this event soon. We cannot wait to see you there!

05/27/2026

Our mental health can change as frequently as the weather.

A "good" mental health day can become a challenging one in just a few hours, minutes, or seconds.

The opposite is also true - a "bad" mental health day will not last forever.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, remember that you are not your worst days. Every "storm" will pass, and there are people who will wait it out with you.

05/25/2026

If you have a trust with OSNT, come to Find Out Friday! Join us on May 29, 2026 at 1:00 PM. Sign up here: https://oregonsnt.org/event-14-2/

Find Out Friday is a monthly Zoom information session for people with OSNT accounts. Each month you can learn about a different trust-related topic. This month, Cici Gaynor will talk about Disbursement Requests.

05/23/2026

We give our bodies breaks by doing things like stretching, looking away from screens, and taking naps. Our bodies need these breaks and rest to function as well as they can.

The same is true for our mental health. After all, the brain is a part of the body! How do you take mental health breaks during the day? Let us know your favorite ways to rest your brain in the comments.

05/22/2026

Trust Talk Tuesday is coming up next week on May 26, 2026. Join OSNT program director Cici Gaynor for an informative webinar about special needs trusts and the OSNT program. Sign up at: https://oregonsnt.org/event-15-2/

05/21/2026

Nonspeaking autistic people are often talked ABOUT, talked AT, and talked OVER when it comes to their lived experiences. Niko Boskovic and the Autism Mustang Alliance want to change that.

The Autism Mustang Alliance will hold the very first Spellers & Typers Advocacy Summit on August 15, 2026. This is an event designed BY and FOR nonspeaking, minimally speaking, and unreliably speaking autistic people.

The registration deadline for this event is June 1. Registration is free for nonspeaking, minimally speaking, and unreliably speaking autistic people of all ages and their supporters. You can learn more and register at: https://autismmustangalliance.org/retreaters/

05/19/2026

"I'm a failure." "No one cares about me." "I'll never be good at this." It's easy to have negative thoughts about yourself, but these thoughts can affect how you feel and act.

Many of us say things about ourselves we would never say to a friend or loved one. You deserve the same kindness that you show to others.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, practice being kind to your own mind. Ask yourself, "Would I say this to a friend?"

05/16/2026

Our team has been busy all across Oregon in the past few weeks! Here are some of the events our staff and leadership team have attended recently.

At the end of April, Em Braman, Alan Lytle, and Lee Lebeda attended Oregon's very first Technology Summit: Tech Forward Oregon — Technology Solutions for Disability. We were so grateful to participate in this innovative gathering.

Em and Alice Massey kicked off May with a training on Supported Decision Making at the Investment in Caregivers Conference in Ontario, OR.

Just a few days later, Em traveled to Medford to host an in-person training on Guardianship & Less Restrictive Alternatives with The Arc Jackson County, Bridging Communities, and Autism Society of Oregon.

Will we see you at our next event? 👀

05/13/2026

Please use this Take Action link from The Arc of the United States and tell Congress to protect SNAP. Access to food is a fundamental human right, and cuts to SNAP could take that away from even more people. https://act.thearc.org/campaign/162016/

No one should go hungry. Yet last year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) saw the biggest cut in its history and nearly 3 million people lost their benefits. If Congress does not act to reverse these cuts, even more people will be pushed out of the program, including people with disabilities, older adults, and caregivers.

Take action now and tell Congress to reverse these cuts and protect SNAP using the link in the comments.

05/12/2026

We launched The Intersection of Person, Culture, and Disability as a brand new training back in January. If you missed it the first time, don't worry — it is coming back for a second run!

Join Lindsay Dutton on June 18, 2026 for this one-of-a-kind interactive training. Professionals, advocates, and anyone committed to equity in disability services is invited to participate. Learn more and register at: https://thearcoregon.org/training-details/?event-id=1828