The impact of L’Arche goes far beyond our numbers. Each day, people with and without intellectual disabilities develop extraordinary friendships through ordinary activities: preparing meals, brushing teeth, shopping for groceries, and praying together. These friendships become catalysts for change. Learn more below!
L’Arche USA also recently completed a study that outlines the impact that L’Arche has on it’s members. Explore the results which include a written report, video message, and a unique animated series at the following button.
The L'Arche Impact StudyPeople with intellectual or developmental disabilities that live in a L’Arche home or participate in a day program.
People without intellectual or developmental disabilities who live with and support Core Members.
Mutually transformative relationships form the heart of L’Arche. All of us, whether or not we live with an intellectual disability, desire a sense of belonging. In L’Arche, people of differing intellectual capacities, social origins, religions, and cultures build relationships rooted in trust and vulnerability. By sharing daily life together, community members experience L’Arche as a “University for the Heart,” where they learn true friendship and teach one another to love unconditionally.
L’Arche makes it possible for our perceptions regarding disability to be transformed. Since our founding, L’Arche has illuminated the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities and affirmed their inherent dignity and worth. L’Arche believes everyone has something valuable to contribute, even the most vulnerable. Our weaknesses and vulnerabilities are not to be hidden from others, but welcomed and shared.
Too often, people with intellectual disabilities are left out of policy discussions that directly affect their lives. L’Arche USA aims to change that by advocating alongside people with intellectual disabilities for the rights they deserve. L’Arche USA partners with relevant organizations to raise awareness of policy issues. Furthermore, L’Arche USA educates our members on applicable laws and policy shifts that affect our communities.
