On Thursday, October 22, CIL hosted a virtual tribute to lifelong disability rights advocate and former President of The Arc, Quincy Abbot. Over 90 people registered for the event, including service providers throughout the country, advocates, Quincy’s former co-workers and mentees, and of course, Quincy’s family and friends.

Quincy has been an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since his third daughter, Becky, was born with brain damage in 1963. He was an active member of The Arc National Board from 1991 to 2001, and he served as The Arc’s National President (1996-1998). During Quincy’s term, The Arc grew its federal policy/advocacy efforts and made the move from Texas to Washington, DC.

One of his many accomplishments, born out of his efforts to enable people with I/DD to move out of institutions in Connecticut, was the founding of CIL. A short film shown during the program, Quincy Abbot & The Story of CIL detailed his efforts to help people with disabilities move into the community and have a higher quality of life. The film can be viewed here.

Several speakers shared memories of working with Quincy and stories of how he inspired them. Among those who spoke were current CIL President and CEO Kent Schwendy, retired CIL President and CEO Marty Legault, Chief Executive Officer of The Arc Peter Berns, and co-leader of the Community Options Unit within Connecticut’s Department of Social Services Dawn Lambert. Attendees also heard from The Arc’s Senior Advisor of Public Policy Marty Ford, Senior Advisor of Development and Partnerships at The Arc Trudy Jacobson, Executive Director of The Arc of Massachusetts Leo Sarkissian, and past-president of The Arc CT Barry Bosworth.

Viewers in the comments were moved by stories of Quincy. Thanks, congratulations, well-wishes, and blessings poured in throughout the program. The event concluded with a few words from Quincy himself, where his message of “When you see something that can be better – don’t wait, make it better!” rang loud and clear.  

CIL thanks all those who attended the program. The recording is available here for those who missed it or would like to watch again!