With new logo, agency communicates more choices
by Alex Philippidis
(…) At its annual meeting Tuesday, Westchester Arc will unveil a new logo and slogan intended to convey that commitment, “Envision possibilities, explore choices,” and the message behind it, namely the increasing variety, convenience and choice of services offered by the not-for-profit agency.
“We're finding the people we serve and their families really want the same kind of choice that everybody wants. They want to live in the community, work in the community, have leisure time in the community,” said Richard P. Swierat, executive director of Westchester Arc.
Westchester Arc will also unveil a new logo incorporating the new way it spells its name. After years of using “ARC,” an acronym for “association of retarded citizens,” the organization will now spell the word out in upper and lower case letters.
The change, Swierat says, reflects a new commitment to connecting the people it serves, or “customers,” with their communities. It's also another step away from the word “retarded,” which Westchester Arc says has become outdated now that many of the people it serves have other diagnoses, from autism to cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
“As we get better at determining people's learning disabilities, the title of our organization really doesn't meet the reality. It has been a barrier to people who wanted to serve our organization, and in some cases it has scared people away,” Swierat said.
Another priority for the organization, Swierat said, is helping businesses take more advantage of its labor force through joint ventures.
Established in 1949 as Westchester Association for the Help of Retarded Children, Westchester Arc employs 700 and operates on an annual budget of $41 million.
By playing up the breadth of disabilities of its customers, Swierat acknowledged, Westchester Arc also hopes to have an easier time qualifying for state grants targeted to people with specific developmental disabilities.
“While this was a business decision, it was a business decision driven by our customers,” Swierat said.
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Source:
Westchester County Business Journal
