Educate | The Arc of the New River Valley

Reinforcing Our Commitment through Education

CANDIDATE FORUMS

During every VA Senate and VA House of Delegates election cycle, the Arc of the New River Valley holds a legislative forum.

Candidates running for elected office hear from their constituents with disabilities, their families and advocates on issues that affect quality of life and opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in school and community life.

Delegate Nick Rush, Delegate Chris Hurst, Senator John Edwards, Flo Ketner, Rhonda Seltz, Darlene Lewis, and Sen. David Suetterlein joined us for our most recent Legislative Forum Tuesday, October 8, 2019, 7-9 pm, Montgomery County Government Center, 755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, VA 24073. Download flyer.

EFFORT DAY

EFFORT Day, which stands for Enabling Friends For Our First Response Teams, is an event sponsored by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office in conjunction with County Fire and Rescue departments and is held annually during the summer. This field day style event is held at the Christiansburg High School track and its purpose is to educate, create awareness, and facilitate relationships between the disability community and our first responders. From its conception, the Arc of the NRV has supported this event and has had a resource table there each year.

The 2018 event was held on July 14 at the Christiansburg Recreation Department.

Join us for the Transition Fair Thursday, April 11, 2019 from 4-6PM in the Christiansburg High School Cafeteria! Admission is free and open to the public. Download the flyer.

MCPS TRANSITION FAIR

In cooperation with the Montgomery County Public Schools

Each spring the Special Education Department of Montgomery County Public Schools sponsors a Transition Fair. Designed to help students with disabilities who are transitioning out of high school and going on either to college or to life and work in the community. Various agencies and support organizations participate to share information about the services they provide, including educational, health and home/community services.

FILM PRESENTATIONS

In the Fall of 2017, The Arc staffed a table at a screening of the film Deej at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Virginia. The film tells the story of DJ Savares, a boy with autism, abandoned at birth who finds a loving family and communication through a text-to-voice synthesizer. Visit the official movie site. Download the press kit.

In March 2019, The Arc sponsored a screening of the film Intelligent Lives at the Floyd County High School. The film stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Visit the official movie site.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Visit the Virginia Department of Education’s website to educate yourself about Special Education Laws and Virginia Regulations.
Educate yourself on the rights and laws around disability and access at the federal level by visiting the Americans with Disabilities Act page.
Check out the U.S. Department of Special Education’s website where you can find federal legislation, regulations, guidance, and other policy documents.