History

The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s Building for Change Capital Campaign will construct an Inclusive Campus to promote and protect the human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn more below about how the Inclusive Campus’ library will be an asset to the Colorado Springs community. 

A Place for Families to Find the Information They Need

If you’re a family member of a child with a disability, you know how difficult it can be to find the right resources for your family. It’s often the case that the resources you need are scattered throughout the community, and with limited time and energy, it can be difficult to track them all down. We know you’re tired of the “run-around,” and we want to help point you in the right direction.

Imagine a place where you can find the information you need, in a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment. A place where you can find not only the information you’re looking for, but also a place where you can take a deep breath, knowing that you aren’t alone in your journey to help your child live the best life possible. One way in which The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s Building for Change – An Inclusive Campus, will help meet this need in the Pikes Peak Region is through a comprehensive library. The library will be the clearing house of information on disability, boasting a wealth of educational advocacy resources, National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability research, disability resources and films. Bringing together a wide range of disability topics in one area, the library will help point you in the right direction, arming you with the information you need to make the best possible decisions for your family.

Linda Golden, a former member of The Arc Pikes Peak Region Board of Directors, and her daughter, Lexi.

Linda Golden, a former member of The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s Board of Directors, can relate to parents trying to “figure it all out.” “I had to do it all on my own; I didn’t know where to go for help. Thinking about Lexi’s future is one of the scariest things.” The Inclusive Campus’ library will also provide information and resources on future planning, helping to create bright futures and reduce anxiety.

An Invaluable Resource for Professionals

In addition to serving as an excellent resource for families, the library will also provide the latest research and information for professionals in the disability community, criminal justice professionals, and educators. Professionals in these fields interact with individuals with I/DD regularly, and the Building for Change – An Inclusive Campus Library will provide exceptional resources to help promote the best service possible to individuals with I/DD.

For example, educating criminal justice professionals on how to best interact with and advocate for individuals with I/DD helps people with disabilities and their families avoid getting caught in a gap in knowledge between the criminal justice system and the disability community. To help fill this gap, The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability has chosen The Arc Pikes Peak Region to pilot the Pathways to Justice Program, which helps train criminal justice professionals on how to work with individuals with disabilities. Such training helps individuals with I/DD from unnecessarily falling into the criminal justice system. The library will house such top-notch resources and research to help educate professionals.

The library will be a place where special needs parents and family members, advocates and self-advocates, professionals in the disability community, law enforcement and criminal justice professionals and others can come to find the information they need in a central location.

To learn more about The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s Building for Change Campaign, please click here. If you are interested in contributing resources to the Building for Change – An Inclusive Campus Library, please contact (719) 471-4800. You can also check out the Building for Change Case for Support, which includes commemorative naming opportunities for each room of the building.