The Arc of Aurora

10/28/2026

Still have your ballot? It’s too late to mail your ballot, but there’s still time to vote!

Return your ballot at any 24/7 dropbox or in-person Voter Service and Polling Center in your county, on or before Election Day, November 3rd at 7pm.

Find your nearest dropbox or polling place: https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/VIP.html
More voting information and resources: JustVoteColorado.org

10/23/2026

Colorado’s Medicaid office (Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing or HCPF) has announced its second round of proposals to balance the state budget. See the proposals here... nothing is final; your voice and experience MATTER!

📢From the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council📢

What you can do:
* Know what services are in your plan. Contact your home health agency or case manager if you need a copy. Compare your current hours to the proposed limits.
* Think about what you or your loved one need to live safely in the community. How do these services support your or your loved one’s well-being? Are they essential or are other services more important? If you are a family caregiver, how would EVV (including real-time charting) impact your ability to care for your loved one?
* Tell your story. Focus on what matters most to your family and how the changes will affect you.

It is not our community's job to fix the state budget.

It is important that we give feedback to help decision-makers understand the real-world impact of the proposed solutions.

How to Share Feedback: Attend a stakeholder meeting or complete a survey:
1. Meeting Dates and Times
* Tuesday, October 27, 2026
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MT
Register for October 27 here https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_2EZPZ2I9SaOAlGIuTRBIXg

* Wednesday, October 28, 2026
8:30 - 10 a.m. MT
Register for October 28 here https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_Gx8WIhZJSE2JHztdJ-DZ8g

2. You can also provide feedback via the Round 2 Survey, open now through Sunday, November 1, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/bw8f4c44

HCPF previously said it would release the results of the first round of policy recommendations this month. They decided to wait until November to consider Round 1 and Round 2 proposals together instead of separately.

10/22/2026

The Arc of Aurora urges you to vote YES on Amendment 87- the Income Tax Fairness Act- because 97% of Colorado taxpayers would get a tax CUT! Giant corporations and households earning over $500,000 would pay their fair share for our schools, health care, and child care. Together, we can build a fairer Colorado... join us!

10/20/2026

“Guardianship & Decision-Making” gives you and your loved one with IDD the knowledge you need to make the best choice on supportive roles and caregiving relationships:

✨TALKS/MICROLEARNING plain-language training on Guardianship, Supportive ✨Decision-Making, and Undoing Guardianship featuring interviews from those with lived experience!
✨TRAINING explaining the impacts of Guardianship through research and real stories, walking you through all your alternatives
✨TOOL packet of guides, interactive tools, and a live Q&A

Check it all out! Head to: thinkchange.info/GuardianshipDMPACK

This full package made possible with support from Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, Developmental Pathways, The Limbaugh Law Firm, LLC, Rocky Mountain ADA Center, Arc Thrift Stores, Howdy Homemade Ice Cream Denver, and The Arc of Aurora!



Image description: Think Change green and black text logo with Talks Trainings Tools written below it. Text reads Guardianship & Decision-Making For Your Loved One with IDD. Below is a disability pride flag with a sketch of person with long hair & glasses on a computer, one with buzzed hair doing laundry, and a short-haired individual with a messenger bag. Made possible through support from Developmental Pathways, Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, The Limbaugh Law Firm, Rocky Mountain ADA, Howdy Ice Cream, arc Thrift Stores, and The Arc of Aurora.

10/17/2026

🚨Safety and crisis planning for children with disabilities is an essential step in prevention and response for ALL schools 🚨

🏫 October is School Safety Month in Colorado!

School safety means making sure every student, including students with disabilities, can be safe, understood, and supported at school.

In our THINK+change podcast, Brad Stiles, M.A., from the Colorado Office of School Safety, shares practical advice and important information about Special Education & School Safety.

🎧 Take a listen and learn more: thinkchange.info/SpSchSafetyPOD



Image description: Think Change Podcast Vodcast logo that includes a black microphone. Below, is a headshot of the guest of the podcast, Brad Stiles, M.A., Emergency Response Outreach Consultant, CO Office of School Safety, a man with short black hair, and host, Petri Brill, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, with a black microphone and three green sound lines around both headshots. Text reads School Safety for Special Education. Made possible through support from Developmental Pathways, Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, The Limbaugh Law Firm, Aftersight, and The Arc of Aurora.

10/15/2026

Learn more about the MANY Colorado ballot measures from Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council!

With 14 statewide ballot measures on the 2026 ballot, Council members collaborated on the latest blog piece headed by our Legislative Public Policy committee.

They wanted to share personal perspectives from people with I/DD and their families about how these measures could affect our community. You can find this educational piece on our website at https://coddc.org/beyond-the-ballot-how-colorados-ballot-measures-could-affect-people-with-disabilities-and-their-families/

Image description: Graphic announcing a new blog post from the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council. Image is split vertically. On the left side, dark brown text against a light cream-colored background reads: "NEW BLOG POST / Beyond the Ballot: How Colorado’s Ballot Measures Could Affect People with Disabilities and Their Families." Below this text, the website URL "www.coddc.org/blog" is listed above the CDDC logo. The right side features a photograph of a diverse group of voters inside a polling station.

10/14/2026

Being included is about more than just being there. It’s about BELONGING! 💙

The Arc of Aurora and THINK+change was excited to sponsor AND join advocates, educators, families, and self-advocates at the PEAK Parent Center Conference on Inclusive Education in Western Colorado!

True inclusion means being welcomed, valued, heard, and given meaningful opportunities to participate.We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn, connect, and continue pushing for schools where every student doesn't just have a seat in the classroom, but a voice and a place in their school community.

📣Because presence is not the same as participation, and inclusion is not complete without belonging!📣

10/13/2026

🎉 THINK+change Academy just hit 1,200 subscribers! 🎉

We’re celebrating a BIG milestone! 💙 Thank you to everyone who has subscribed, watched, shared, and supported our mission to make education more accessible and inclusive.

THINK+change Academy offers educational videos and resources designed to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), families, professionals, and the community.

✨ 1,200 subscribers and growing! Help us keep the momentum going by subscribing, sharing our videos, and spreading the word!

🔗 Check out THINK+change Academy and join our growing community:

https://thinkchange.info/4B6bXd6

10/13/2026

Every voice matters. How we listen and share matters, too. 💬

Today, The Arc of Aurora/THINK+change joined Lisa Cesario of SungateKids and Samantha Farro PhD and moderator Sarah Tietz, MD both with the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, for **“Interviewing and Supporting Those with Cognitive Impairment”** at the Elder and Family Justice Summits.

Thank you for inviting us and including people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in this important conversation. Ensuring access to justice starts with understanding, respecting, and supporting each person.