The Arc of Bristol County

Vision: People of all abilities are empowered to succeed by making their own choices. Mission: To foster community partnerships, promote individual advocacy and create a pathway for growth and innovation by offering exceptional support and services to people with all abilities through the attraction, development and retention of superior talent who passionately demonstrate best practices. Brief history of The Arc of Bristol County: It must have been heartbreaking. To have a new baby in your arms, and the doctors saying because of the child’s special needs, you should put him or her “away,” essentially forget about them. Such was the case for many families prior to the 1950’s. In 1959, a group of courageous families from the Attleboro area joined forces, wanting to raise their children with developmental disabilities themselves, but knowing they needed support to do so. These were the founding families of The Arc of Bristol County. Wonder if they could have imagined 51 years later, their kitchen table organization would be serving 2,000 individuals annually, offering tremendous opportunities for children and adults with disabilities? As a result of their efforts, and the efforts of hundreds of other families around the world, people with disabilities are more integrated into their communities, have full rights to education and employment, and now have opportunities that would never have been dreamed of half a century ago.