The Arc of Northeast Colorado is here to serve as a voice for the individuals who cannot speak for themselves.
Who We Are
The Arc of Northeast Colorado is an advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Weld County and six surrounding counties: Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, and Yuma.
Hope Happens Here
Offering no-fee individual advocacy services, community outreach programs, and systems advocacy, the The Arc of Northeast Colorado promotes the rights and independence of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, the organization includes self-advocates, parents, guardians, caregivers, and community members.
Our Why
A Dark Chapter in American History to be Rewritten through Human Rights Advocacy
Throughout history, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been marginalized, excluded, and often confined to institutions—treated more like prisoners than individuals, simply due to societal ignorance. Since the inception of The Arc’s national network in the 1950s, passionate advocates have dedicated their time, talent, and resources to transforming the future for people with disabilities across the nation. During these early years of activism, the political landscape shifted dramatically in 1965 when former Senator Robert Kennedy visited the now-infamous Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York. That pivotal moment sparked national attention. Years later, investigative journalist Geraldo Rivera produced an impromptu exposé on Willowbrook, secretly entering the institution with the help of a physician on staff.
The experience was unforgettable—the imagery appalling, the conditions inhumane. It revealed a profound societal failure to protect, support, and uplift our most vulnerable citizens. While it took far too long, change did come: Willowbrook was eventually closed, and the deinstitutionalization movement began to take hold across the United States, reaching Colorado in the early 1990s. Though this journey started decades ago and thousands of miles away on the East Coast, what many don’t realize is that the legacy of Willowbrook is deeply connected to the Colorado Arc Network and arc Thrift Stores.
That connection began with two brothers living in New York: Wally and Nathan Roth. Wally, a man with Down syndrome, was deeply loved and valued by his brother Nathan and the entire Roth family. They cherished Wally’s unique contributions to their lives—relationships that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would go on to change the course of history. Later in life, Nathan Roth became a pioneer in the disability rights movement during this transformative period in history, serving as Board President of The Arc of Nassau. Under his leadership, The Arc of Nassau became the lead plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit against Willowbrook, filed on March 17, 1972, with a consent judgment signed on April 30, 1975. This case sparked significant changes not only in New York but throughout the entire nation, reshaping the future of disability rights in America.
So, who is Nathan Roth—and how is he connected to our chapters in Colorado? Nathan Roth is the father of Henry Roth, a long-time board member of arc Thrift Stores and a key figure in the Colorado Arc Network. Henry continues the legacy of advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that his father began decades ago. In tribute to his father's lasting impact, Henry recently donated commemorative plaques, now displayed in the hallway leading to the boardroom at arc Thrift Stores headquarters in Denver, imagery below.
That is our why. Why we advocate. Why we work so hard. Why we never stop. Because if we did—could history repeat itself? Could we lose sight of our unique role in the human rights movement and the powerful interconnection that binds us across generations—past, present, and future? This dark chapter in history may evoke visceral reactions, as it should. But it also calls us to be hopeful, motivated, and inspired by the courageous advocates who came before us and by the meaningful contributions we can each make, individually and collectively, as part of The Arc.
To learn more about the Willowbrook investigation, click the link below. WARNING: This content may be triggering due to graphic images and language. The Closing of Willowbrook - Disability Justice
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