50 Faces of The Arc – Sharon & Conner

Sharon and Conner are mother and son who’ve been a part of The Arc of Loudoun community since 2015. The pair are advocates who passed Conner’s Law in Virginia. The law ensures that both parents of children with severe disabilities will pay child support, even after the child has turned eighteen. While attending a rally in Richmond two years ago, Sharon and Conner met Melissa, The Arc of Loudoun’s now Executive Director. Since then, Melissa has provided guidance and support to Sharon and Conner about passing Conner’s Law in other states. Through ALLY (A Life Like Yours) Advocacy Center, Conner has joined Speak Up, which is The Arc’s self-advocacy and public speaking group. Sharon says that Speak Up allowed Conner to learn about advocating for himself and make friends,

“Speak Up gave Conner an opportunity to feel included and he felt like he really fit in.”

Sharon goes on to say that she is very proud to be affiliated with The Arc of Loudoun,

“I’m extremely impressed with The Arc and how much they give back. We’ve met a lot of amazing people here who all contribute so much to the community!”