Together with disabled leaders, self-advocates, parents and family members, coalition partners, and other allies, we will work to advance policy solutions that create positive systems and social change. Through public policy work, we can:

  • Promote and protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Advance equity
  • Support true belonging in community

Our 2025 policy goals cover five main areas:

  • Social and Community Context
  • Education Access and Quality
  • Economic Stability
  • Neighborhood and Built Environment
  • Health Access and Quality

These are called Social Determinants of Health. Building our agenda around the Social Determinants of Health shows how different policy issues are connected as they impact the lives of people with disabilities.

Here is the 2025 legislative agenda that was created by our Public Policy Committee and passed by the Board of Directors:

  • Social & Community Context
    • Inclusive Playgrounds
      • All children should play side-by-side. Investing in bonding projects that help build safe, inclusive playgrounds across the state will result in long-term, positive benefits for all. It will help children with disabilities foster true belonging in community from an early age.
  • Education Access & Quality
    • IEP Accessibility bill
      • All parents should have the ability to participate in the IEP and alternative dispute resolution processes. Increasing access to these processes, including for parents with a disability and those who speak a language other than English at home, will help children with disabilities thrive from an earlier age.
  • Economic Stability
    • MA-EPD Reform
      • Lowering premiums for the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) program will help people with disabilities get out of poverty. Ensuring that people with disabilities are able to work and build financial stability will improve their quality of life and our economy overall. It is critical for people to be able to work while maintaining the safety net supports that help them thrive.
    • Subminimum Wage Phase-Out
      • The state of Minnesota must phase out 14(c) subminimum wage certificates, segregated employment, and other employment-related policies that discriminate against disabled people. The state has already made wise investments to support lead agencies, case managers, and providers to transition away from subminimum wage. Now is the time to correct decades of discrimination by supporting fair wages for disabled people and ensure they have equal opportunity to work in integrated environments at competitive wages, in jobs that meet their skills and interests.
  • Neighborhood & Built Environment
    • Our Future Starts at Home Constitutional Amendment
      • Voters should have the opportunity to decide if they want to dedicate state funding to end:
        • housing instability
        • homelessness
        • disparities in home ownership
        • and expensive rental costs.
    • The Our Future Starts at Home Constitutional Amendment creates the Household and Community Stability Fund, the Home Ownership Opportunity Fund, and the Rental Opportunity fund. These funds will:
      • reduce disparities
      • support community-based solutions
      • improve the condition of homes
      • increase accessibility
      • and decrease energy costs.
    • The funds put communities and people with lived experience, including people with disabilities, at the center. Disabled Minnesotans will benefit from dedicated and consistent funding in housing.
  • Health Access & Quality
    • Self-Directed Services Reform
      • People with disabilities must have self-directed options that support consistent, high-quality staff and flexible services that meet their needs. The legislature must end unequal funding between CDCS and traditional waiver options. They must direct lead agencies to follow and implement state policy so there is consistency across the state. The Department of Human Services must monitor and enforce state policies so that disabled Minnesotans can direct their own services and have more choice and control in their lives.

You can review our full legislative agenda and learn more here.

Do you want to get involved and support our advocacy work this session? Join The Arc Minnesota Capitol Connectors Teams!

To get involved, you will want to find out who represents you in the Minnesota State House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate. Enter your home address into this District Finder to learn more about your legislators.

You can find a full list of Minnesota legislators here.

Explore the Minnesota legislature’s website here.

2025 Support Agenda

In addition to the policy goals in our legislative agenda, The Arc Minnesota has a support agenda. Support agenda items are those led by other advocacy organizations, service providers, or coalition partners who we work closely with.

In collaboration with our key partners, The Arc Minnesota supports legislative proposals that will positively impact Minnesotans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is not a complete list of proposals The Arc will monitor and support.

Self-Directed Services Reform

People with disabilities must have self-directed options that support consistent, high-quality staff and flexible services that meet their needs. The legislature must end unequal funding between CDCS and traditional waiver options. They must direct lead agencies to follow and implement state policy so there is consistency across the state. The Department of Human Services must monitor and enforce state policies so that disabled Minnesotans can direct their own services and have more choice and control in their lives.

Elimination of premiums for Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MAEPD)

Lowering premiums for the MA-EPD program will help people with disabilities get out of poverty. Ensuring that people with disabilities are able to work and build financial stability will improve their quality of life and our economy overall. It is critical for people to be able to work while maintaining the safety net supports that help them thrive.

Inclusive Playgrounds

All children should play side-by-side. Investing in bonding projects that help build safe, inclusive playgrounds across the state will result in long-term, positive benefits for all. It will help children with disabilities foster true belonging in community from an early age.

Minimum Wage Protections and Subminimum Wage Phase Out

The state of Minnesota must phase out 14(c) subminimum wage certificates, segregated employment, and other employment-related policies that discriminate against disabled people. The state has already made wise investments to support lead agencies, case managers, and providers to transition away from subminimum wage. Now is the time to correct decades of discrimination by supporting fair wages for disabled people and ensure they have equal opportunity to work in integrated environments at competitive wages, in jobs that meet their skills and interests.

Our Future Starts At Home

Voters should have the opportunity to decide if they want to dedicate state funding to end: housing instability, homelessness, disparities in home ownership, and expensive rental costs. The funds put communities and people with lived experience, including people with disabilities, at the center. Disabled Minnesotans will benefit from dedicated and consistent funding in housing.

IEP Parent accessibility bill

Improving IEP process for parents with a disability and families whose parents speak a language other than English.

Supported Decision Making (SDM)

Building on the 2020 guardianship reform bill, and efforts to promote less restrictive alternatives to guardianship, we support legislation that would fund the one-time grants from the 2024 session to invest in organizations and projects statewide to help people establish SDM in their own lives.

State Plan Basic Income

Guaranteed basic income would provide direct cash payments of at least $500 per month for 18 to 24 months to eligible recipients around the state. It is a tool that would help lift people with disabilities into economic success, and Minnesota should continue to expand based on successful pilot programs in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Augmentative and Alternative Communications (AAC) Devices

An AAC device is a tablet or laptop that helps someone with a speech or language impairment to communicate. We support legislation that would require insurance companies to cover these devices.

Accessible Medical and Dental Facilities

Medical and dental offices should be accessible for people with disabilities. We support legislation that requires facilities to update or add accessible equipment.

MnCHOICES Recertification

We support legislation that would create an “opt-out” provision allowing people with disabilities to be assessed every three years instead of every year – if their disability is such that level of need does not change significantly year over year.