Regional Quality Council

08/24/2026

You are invited to a Words Matter Lunch and Learn Series hosted by The Arc Minnesota and Arc Northland Regional Quality Councils, Regional Capacity Building Networks, and Quality Assurance.

Words matter more than you might think. How we address people and talk in day-to-day conversations can have a lasting impact on the people around us.

In this series, we will explore how language shapes attitudes and beliefs, outdated words and phrases you may not think about as harmful, and why some words are no longer appropriate. We’ll explore how language can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes and find more inclusive and respectful ways to communicate.

Lunch and Learn sessions will be held every Wednesday in September at Noon.

• September 2nd Speaker: Tony Anderson – History of the R-Word and its recent resurgence
• September 9th Speaker: Stacy Danov – Honoring Disability by Reframing Language
• September 16th Speaker: Why Words Matter-Lived Experience Insights
• September 23rd Speaker: Why Words Matter-Professional Insights
• September 30th Speaker: Interactive Discussion and breakout

Please find the flier attached, and register using the QR code or you can register at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/fk8vPBi6TMucS0qveDKQ8w #/registration

Registering at this link will sign you up for all sessions so you can receive the links, information, and recordings for every session. If you can’t make every session, that is okay.

You can share this training with anyone you’d like; it is free to all and all are welcome.

If you have any questions, feel free to each out to [email protected].

08/18/2026

What if you couldn't explain what you needed during a mental health crisis?

For some people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), a mental health crisis can make communication difficult. Thanks to our partnership with the UnitedHealth Group's United Health Foundation, our new mental health crisis card helps bridge that gap by sharing important information with the people who are trying to help.

The card can include preferred ways to communicate, calming techniques, things to avoid, and emergency contacts. It's a simple tool that can help others respond with understanding and support when it matters most.

Download and personalize your free card: https://bit.ly/4wvIGWK

08/03/2026

For Marta's friends and colleagues...please click on the link provided to read Marta's beautifully written obituary, and information on her September celebration of life.💞

View Marta Beth Milliken's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

07/29/2026

It is with a heavy heart that we share that our friend and RQC Associate, Marta Milliken, passed away on Monday evening after experiencing a recent cardiac arrest. Marta was a valuable member of the RQC and The Arc Minnesota. She began working for The Arc Southeastern Minnesota in 1999 following several years as a volunteer.

She was the Operations Manager with The Arc SE before the Merger with The Arc Minnesota, where she joined the Development Team. She has been the RQC Associate since 2023 and with Regional Capacity Building since 2024.

Marta loved The Arc Minnesota and the Regional Quality Council. Promoting the values of human and civil rights, self-advocacy and self-determination, equity and belonging, and racial and disability justice, was extremely important to Marta. Supporting the work of the RQC was also very important to her, and she was instrumental in organizing the Disability Pride celebrations that we have held the last two years.

One of her favorite events for The Arc Minnesota was the Golfer's Choice Tournament held Monday at Somerby in Byron. She was helping organize this event right up until Friday morning, before heading to Mac's Park Place Campground, where she loved spending time with her husband Robert and her dog Lily.

Marta was devoted to her family and friends and will be so dearly missed. We know many of you are included in the friend category. Please take good care of yourselves, and each other, as we move through time without Marta's physical presence. Her influence will never be forgotten.

07/25/2026

Region 10 Quality Council’s very own Shelly Rohe is a published author! Can’t wait to read Beloved As We Are! ❤️

You can order it here:
Beloved as We Are: Building a Congregational Culture of Disability Inclusion

https://uuabookstore.org/products/beloved-as-we-are

https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Are-Congregational-Disability-Inclusion/dp/1558969861

https://www.walmart.com/search?q=Beloved+as+We+Are%3A+Building+a+Congregational+Culture+of+Disability+Inclusion

07/21/2026

Our Stories in Color – A Disability Pride Workshop 🎨

July is disability pride month. Join us as we explore disability pride, identity, and culture through discussion and art.

Tuesday, July 28th
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Virtual: Contact Katie for the Teams meeting link at [email protected]

Questions? Contact Rebecca at [email protected]

See you there!🌟

07/17/2026

Help shape the future of Arc's Value Village!

Whether you love thrift shopping, occasionally browse secondhand stores, or simply support The Arc Minnesota's mission, we'd love your input.

Take our brief **8–10 minute survey** to share your thrift shopping habits and tell us where you'd like to see a future Arc's Value Village location. Your feedback will help guide future decisions.

Take the survey here: https://stthomas.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YLrvQTlUKJiGoK

Thank you for helping us strengthen our thrift stores and support the work of The Arc Minnesota.

07/16/2026

07/16/2026

This should be a great event. We hope you can make it!.

Registration is now open for Rochester's 2026 Disability Summit: The Future is Accessible: Innovation in Disability Policy.

• Friday, July 24, 2026
• 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.)
• Commons at the RCTC Heintz Center at 1926 Collegeview Road East. Park in the west lot adjacent to 19th Ave SE for the easiest access to Door H14.

Join us for discussions on youth with disabilities and aging with disabilities. The event is free and open to all.

Register: https://qr1.be/LB1XMO

Learn more at: https://www.rochestermn.gov/news/posts/registration-open-for-rochesters-2026-disability-summit/