The Arc and Parlerai Join to Advance Technology for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The Arc is pleased to announce that they have formed a strategic alliance with Parlerai Inc. (Parlerai), the nation’s first Augmentative Collaboration™ service – http://www.parlerai.com. The service, representing the convergence of assistive technology and social networking, allows parents, children, families, teachers, doctors, aides and caregivers to communicate efficiently, effectively, and immediately.

“The Arc’s collaboration with Parlerai and the sharing of this cutting edge knowledge with our constituents represents a new wave in how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be empowered through technology”

The Arc, the leading advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, recognizes the importance of this technology in enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. “The Arc’s collaboration with Parlerai and the sharing of this cutting edge knowledge with our constituents represents a new wave in how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be empowered through technology,” said Peter Berns, Executive Director of The Arc.

Kristin and Jon Erickson are the co-founders of Parlerai (French for “shall speak”) and the parents of Karly, a child with special needs. The Erickson's experienced first-hand the challenges of managing the care of a person with disabilities and they recognized the lack of available tools for parents to track and share information across channels. Parlerai was initially designed to streamline information sharing from Karly’s teachers and caregivers to the Erickson's.

Parlerai has emerged as an innovative website resource that allows parents, teachers, physicians, caregivers, and others to join a collaborative community within a highly secure network controlled by the parent or individual with a disability.

Kristin Erickson, CEO of Parlerai said, “We are excited about partnering with The Arc to build a bridge to assist families with a child with special needs. Parlerai can benefit these families by changing the way those vested in a child’s care communicate. Just as social networking has altered the way we communicate in society, this tool will transform vital information for individuals with disabilities and their families.”

The Erickson’s will discuss the power of Parlerai at The Arc’s National Convention in Pittsburgh from November 11-14. They will participate in a panel entitled “Embracing Social Media” and demonstrate Parlerai in the convention exhibit hall.

To register for a Parlerai account go to https://www.parlerai.com/registrations/superUser and enter the promo code “TheArc” when you create your network and a portion of the proceeds will go to The Arc of the United States when members use Parlerai for at least three months.

About The Arc of the United States

The Arc of the United States is the world’s largest community-based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an array of services and support for families and individuals and includes over 140,000 members affiliated through more than 780 state and local chapters across the nation. The Arc is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

About Parlerai

Founded in 2008, Parlerai Inc. is the result of the collaboration of Kristin and Jon Erickson, the parents of a child with special needs. The Erickson’s designed and built Parlerai.com, partly out of sheer need for themselves, and partly due to the desire to provide a better quality of life for other families living in a similar situation with children with special needs—be it with a developmentally disabled child, an autistic child or even an elderly parent. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to harness the power of the Internet for children with special needs - at any time, at any place and on any device.

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