Look for the "Gift"
Every person is unique, each with his or her own abilities or gifts. Individuality demands that we always look for a person's strengths. We must never focus on weaknesses or use a weakness as a reason for our own inability. To look for the gift means that we should take time to listen, speak with, observe and get to know the people we serve. The Arc's role is to provide proper support and the opportunity for our participants to build upon their strengths and achieve their maximum level of independence.

Provide True Choice and Support Self-Determination
Every person wants a sense of control over their life, including their daily routine. We support the right of people with intellectual and related disabilities to make true choices and to exercise as much personal control over their physical and social environment as possible. We offer our participants the opportunity to make personal choices and through our actions, provide them with the skills needed to live as self-determined a life as possible.

Actively Engage People in Community Participation
People with intellectual and related disabilities should become full participants in their communities. Community involvement enhances opportunities for personal development and for interaction with people without disabilities. It provides opportunities for people to make meaningful choices in their daily lives and avoids the demeaning and stigmatizing effects of segregation. Community participation also offers a chance to do things that people normally do, in normal environments, in normal ways. We regularly provide a variety of opportunities for our participants to actively engage in their community.

Encourage Relationship Building
Everyone should have a variety of relationships. People with intellectual and related disabilities should be encouraged to develop a community of support. The community of support includes all the people each person meets on a daily basis. From the bus driver to the ticket clerk at the theater, from a person's doctor to their brother or sister, and from our employees to a person's parents, each individual presents an opportunity for a relationship to blossom. To encourage relationship building, we provide our participants with opportunities to learn relationship skills and to be in appropriate environments.

Help People to Become Contributing Members of Society
All people should be contributing members of society. People with intellectual and related disabilities can contribute to their community by working and paying taxes or by volunteering their time to make their community a better place. Contributing to the community also provides individuals with a sense of personal value. We provide our participants with various opportunities to become contributing members of society.