Pathways to Friendship

**Register for Keys to a Life Well Lived Virtual Book Club**

Please join Pathways to Friendship’s “Keys to a Life Well Lived” Virtual Book Club series! This book club is for anyone interested in learning about living a full and meaningful life! We will read together chapters of the book “Everyday Citizenship: Seven Keys to a Life Well Lived” by Simon Duffy and Wendy Perez. No prep is required! Join us for an engaging discussion!

Meeting will take place at 7pm on the following dates: 2/11, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13

Join us to explore the important ideas explained in the book “Everyday Citizenship: Seven Keys to a Life Well Lived” by Simon Duffy and Wendy Perez. Citizenship means living a full, meaningful life. A citizen is someone who is an equal member of their community and is respected for their contributions. It’s not about paperwork or passports. It’s about full inclusion, rights, and dignity! Join us for any or all* of these discussions leading up to our June 11th, 2026 Forum with keynote, Simon Duffy. You do not need the book take part in these discussions! Everyone is welcome - we hope you’ll join us! *If you join us for all of the discussions, you’ll get discounted entry to the June 11th Forum* Wednesday Feb 11 7-8 PM EST What is ‘citizenship’? Citizenship means living a meaningful life. It’s about full inclusion, rights, and dignity Keys we’ll explore: Finding Meaning and Purpose - What is important to you? Wednesday March 11 7-8 PM EST Keys we’ll explore: Freedom - controlling your own life Money - having enough money to live with security and dignity Wednesday April 8 7-8 PM EST Keys we’ll explore: Help - asking for help and helping others Home - a space of your own Wednesday May 13 7-8 PM EST Keys we’ll explore: Community - take part in your community Love - romantic relationships and friendships www.thearcofmass.org/friendship/ M o r e I n f o r m a t i o n a n d R e g i s t r a t i o n f o r M a r c h , A p r i l a n d M a y C l i c k H e r e o r S c a n t h e Q R C o d e

A woman and a man wearing Patriots football team winter hats and jackets, smiling together

What is Pathways to Friendship?

Pathways to Friendship, is a collaborative initiative on social inclusion between the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and The Arc of Massachusetts.

Our goal is to address the isolation and loneliness of people with disabilities through:

-Exploring the benefits of relationships between people with and without disabilities

-Providing information and resources to help individuals, families and community organizations engage in and sustain those relationships

A man in a wheelchair wearing a blue shirt with the number 18 on it, sitting under an umbrella being held by a smiling woman wearing jeans and a black shirt.

What We Offer:

We work throughout Massachusetts. Thanks to a generous grant from DDS, all our services are FREE!

Trainings

We offer a variety of trainings to staff, families, people with disabilities, and community members and organizations. These trainings focus on supporting friendship between people with and without disabilities and provide concrete tools and strategies for achieving this goal.

Our presentations use a variety of mediums, including video, and are co-presented by people with disabilities who share real-life experiences. Presentations can be modified depending on the interest or age of the audience and can be presented in-person or virtually. Trainings are also available in a Train-the-Trainer format for those interested in strengthening their capacity. Click here to see a list of our trainings: Presentation Descriptions

Short Term Consultation

Pathways to Friendship offers short-term consultation to:

Organizations:

Observe, review and provide suggestions for programs, staff trainings, job descriptions and strategic and organizational goals to ensure they support inclusion and friendship

Individuals/Families:

Meet with individuals/families once or twice to brainstorm and develop plans for building and supporting friendships in the community

Resource Sharing and Networking

We offer many opportunities to connect with others and to share resources:

-Join our Regional Inclusion Networks in the Southeast, Central/West and Metro/Northeast regions

-Participate in the Friendship Matchmaking Forums

-Access Resources and Tools on our website, including (among other things): Video stories of true friendships, Free, downloadable PowerPoints and Toolkits on how to create friendships where you live, learn, work, play and organize

Contact us: friendship@arcmass.org

Friendship Matters!

There is nothing more human than our need for connection and relationships. Simply put, friendships make us happier, healthier and safer!

Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs

While all good relationships are part of a good life, far too often people with disabilities are limited to relationships with family members, support staff and others living with disability. This means both people with and without disabilities miss out on all the richness and benefits that come from befriending each other. We need to Widen the Circle of our Relationships!

A group of people both with and without disabilities posing for a picture in front of large windows

Upcoming Events

Join us at one of these upcoming events to increase your knowledge about Friendship and Inclusion!

-3/11, 7-8pm: Keys to a Life Well Lived Virtual Book Club (session 2)

-3/12, 10-11:30am: Central/West Inclusion Network Virtual Meeting

-3/25, 11am-12pm: Friendship Matchmaking Forum

-4/8, 10-11:30am: Southeast Inclusion Network Virtual Meeting

-4/8, 7-8pm: Keys to a Life Well Lived Virtual Book Club (session 3)

-4/9, 10-11:30am: Metro/Northeast Inclusion Network Virtual Meeting

-5/13, 7-8pm: Keys to a Life Well Lived Virtual Book Club (session 4)

Two women hugging in front of a sparkly curtain

Who is in Your Social Network?

Chart depicting the social network of 51 people with disabilities. The vast majority of contacts are other people with disabilities, followed by paid professionals, some family, and very few community memebers and friends Source: Jack Pealer, 2011

For many people with disabilities, their social network looks like the chart above. An informal, survey conducted on 51 people with disabilities, highlighted the limited scope of their social connections; others with disabilities were by far the majority of the people in their lives, followed by paid support staff. This can be a recipe for loneliness, and might make someone think, “is there anyone in my life that is here because they want to be with me, and not just because they are assigned to me?”