Many years ago, The Arc was an acronym. This resulted in many people referring to us as "The A.R.C". We are no longer an acronym and therefore, simply The Arc. No capitalization required!

In 1950, a small group of parents and other concerned individuals came together to act as voices for change. At the time, little was known about the condition of intellectual disability (at the time referred to as ‘mental retardation’) or its causes. There were virtually no programs and activities in communities to assist in the development and care of children and adults with intellectual disability or to support families. The Arc has a rich history spanning 65 years and marked by accomplishment. We continue to carry out the mission and vision of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their parents and siblings.

The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. This results in each chapter identifying the particular needs of the community and creating programs to that meet those specific needs. This is why you will find slight differences in available programming from chapter to chapter. For more information on what The Arc of Union/Cabarrus specifically offers, please visit our services page.

First and foremost, we welcome you and we are glad you are inquiring about services offered for people with intellectual & developmental disabilities in the Union/Cabarrus County area. We encourage you to contact our office at 704-261-1550 (Union) or 704-785-1382 (Cabarrus) so that we can more specifically address your needs.

Volunteers are the heart of The Arc! We encourage you to check out our listing of ways to get involved. If one of these opportunities speaks to you, please reach out to our office so we can plug you in.

The Arc is a member-driven organization and through your payment of annual dues, you become a voting member of our organization. We host annual membership meetings where official business is shared and new directors are initiated and approved. Visit our membership page to make your annual payment.