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Seneca Cayuga ARC is comprised of people dedicated to assisting and supporting individuals with disabilities, their families and the community in Seneca and Cayuga Counties, New York. We provide opportunities and choices for treatment, employment, education, recreation and community living to assist individuals with disabilities in realizing a productive and fulfilling life.
Seneca Cayuga ARC is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).
A message from former OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
It's official!
Governor David A. Paterson officially signed our name change into law - the name of this agency is now the New York State Office For People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)!
This historical legislation not only removes the words "Mental Retardation" from the name of our agency, but also from State statute and regulations, excluding clinical references. The new name was chosen in March 2010 by consensus of representative stakeholders. It eliminates the stigmatizing language which was part of the agency's name and instead reflects this Office's #1 guiding principle of "Putting People First." It is consistent with the People First language law enacted in 2007 which mandates that in statutory language we place the emphasis where it should be - on the people we serve, not the disability.
The use of "W" in the new agency name avoids the acronym "OPDD," which might have been conveyed as the "Office for Pervasive Developmental Disorders," which is a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. While OPWDD does serve people on the spectrum, we also serve many others under the umbrella of developmental disabilities.
Agency staff is hard at work changing our Website and other publications to reflect the OPWDD change. The name change will not result in any new costs, implementation will be gradual with the plan being to phase it in as part of normal replacement cycles.
I am so pleased to have been a part of this vital change, which is the culmination of our partnership and all the work you have done to advocate for the respect and dignity of people with developmental disabilities. Thank you for all your support - your voices were heard and made a difference! This agency will now continue its vital mission of helping people with developmental disabilities live richer lives - going forward as OPWDD!
Sincerely,
Diana Jones Ritter
For more information on any of these events please contact
Anne Ventura, Community Relations at (315) 539-5067
or email aventura@sencayarc.org
| August 2 | 13th Annual Golf Tournament Shotgun start at 11 am Highland Park Golf Club, Auburn |
| August 20 | FAME Play - Disoriented 7:00 pm Cayuga Community College, Auburn |
©2010 Seneca Cayuga ARC
Web site developed and maintained by Joanne Moore
