Moving Forward Together: From Awareness to Action in North Dakota

Kirsten Dvorak, Executive Director of The Arc of North Dakota

As Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month comes to a close, I want to take a moment to say thank you.

This month, we had the opportunity to amplify voices from across North Dakota through our guest bloggers. Each post brought something meaningful to the conversation — real experiences, honest perspectives, and a shared belief that inclusion matters.

Thank you to our guest contributors Julie Horntvedt, Kendra Vander Wal, and Donene Feist for highlighting the importance of community awareness, illustrating what inclusion can look like in North Dakota, and reminding us why advocacy is needed every single day.

Their stories deepen our understanding of what it means to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and, more importantly, they remind us that awareness is only the beginning.

Awareness must lead to action. Across North Dakota, gaps in services remain. Families struggle to find support. Individuals face real barriers to living, working, and participating fully in their communities. These are not abstract problems — they affect people every day.

We continue to hear from individuals, families, and partners about where things are working and where they are not. Those voices matter. They shape our understanding of what needs to change and help guide the broader conversations happening across our state about how services and supports can continue to evolve and improve.

Inclusion does not happen by accident. It requires effort, ongoing learning, and a genuine willingness to listen — especially to those most affected: the individuals with IDD and the families who support them.

People with IDD have unique needs, goals, and rights. Supporting them well means understanding and honoring those differences, not applying a one-size-fits-all approach and hoping for the best. It means respecting dignity, honoring choice, and fostering independence.

Inclusion is not just about being present — it is about being valued.

One of the most powerful things we can do is keep educating others while continuing to learn ourselves. At The Arc of North Dakota, we maintain ongoing conversations with partners, families, and communities across the state. Those conversations ground us in what is actually happening and reveal where gaps still exist. In turn, we use what we learn to sharpen how we talk about inclusion and to support others in doing the same.

We must continue building awareness — with communities, providers, and decision-makers — about what true inclusion looks like in everyday life, why specialized supports matter for people with IDD, and how to support individuals in ways that genuinely respect their choice and dignity.

Education is not a one-time effort. It is ongoing. It requires listening, sharing, and remaining open to learning from one another. When we sustain those conversations, we build stronger awareness — and better outcomes for people with IDD.

As we move into the rest of the year, our work continues alongside the individuals, families, and partners who make that work meaningful. We will keep sharing real experiences and strengthening how we talk about inclusion so that it reflects what people are truly living in their communities.

Because awareness should lead to action — and action is what creates real change.