2024 Legislative Session Recap

Each Washington State legislative session brings new policy changes impacting our state’s intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) community. From January to March 2024, there was a short 60 day legislative session where many bills officially supported by The Arc of Washington State passed into law.

The Arc of Snohomish County created the annual Legislative Recap resource to dive into the new laws that passed and how they impact the IDD community. This resource also includes bills that did not pass this year, taking a look at continued advocacy focal points moving forward into future legislative sessions. The 20 minute 2024 Legislative Recap video presentation is now available on The Arc of Snohomish County’s Vimeo. Tune in to the recorded presentation or view the slides for highlights from the legislative session, updates on passed bills including the Nothing About Us Without Us Act, and information on how to get involved and make a difference in Washington State policy. Thank you for all of your advocacy!

Disability Activism Book Club and Watch Club!

In the spirit of Women’s History Month and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, The Arc of Snohomish County is celebrating the contributions of disability rights advocates who have shaped history. The following books, films, and Ted Talks are by and about activists who reframe social views on disability, amplify the diversity of the disability experience, and bring forth calls for disability acceptance, advocacy, and action!

Activist: Judith Heumann 

Official website: https://judithheumann.com/

Book recommendation: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

Goodreads summary: One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human.

A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn't built for all of us and of one woman's activism—from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington—Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann's lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society.

Children’s book recommendation: Fighting for YES!: The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann

Film recommendation: Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

Ted Talk recommendation: “Our Fight for Disability Rights – And Why We’re Not Done Yet”

Activists: Janet Taggart, Evelyn Chapman, Katie Dolan, Cecile Lindquist

Film recommendation: “Together They Were Stronger”

Summary: This short documentary celebrates the untold story of four women who mounted an all-out civil rights campaign to create a movement establishing the first-ever disability rights law in the United States, WA HB 90.

Activist: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha 

Official website: https://brownstargirl.org/

Book recommendation: Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice. 

Goodreads summary: In this collection of essays, Lambda Literary Award-winning writer and longtime activist and performance artist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha explores the politics and realities of disability justice, a movement that centers the lives and leadership of sick and disabled queer, trans, Black, and brown people, with knowledge and gifts for all.

Care Work is a mapping of access as radical love, a celebration of the work that sick and disabled queer/people of color are doing to find each other and to build power and community, and a tool kit for everyone who wants to build radically resilient, sustainable communities of liberation where no one is left behind. Powerful and passionate, Care Work is a crucial and necessary call to arms.

Activist: Alice Wong

Official website: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/

Book recommendation: Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life

Goodreads summary: From the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, and the editor of the acclaimed anthology Disability Visibility, a genre-bending memoir in essays offers a glimpse into an activist's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability rights.

Drawing on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice uses her unique voice and talent to share a raw and multifaceted impressionistic collage of her life as an Asian American disability rights activist, community builder, and media maker. From her love of good food and pop culture to her unwavering commitment to speaking out against the often complex and overlooked ways inequities and injustices play out in an ableist society, Alice tells her story and creates a space to hear from other disability activists through enriching conversations. From a world-class activist and storyteller, Alice's Year of the Tiger offers humor and wisdom, and encourages us to do better.

Activist: Stella Young

Official website: https://stellayoung.com.au/

Ted Talk recommendation: “I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much”

Activist: Haben Girma

Official website: https://habengirma.com/

Book recommendation: Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law

Goodreads summary: Born with deaf-blindness, Girma grew up with enough vision to know when someone was in front of her and enough hearing to know when someone close to her was talking. However, she had difficulty reading facial features or distinguishing people in group conversations. Relying on her own problem-solving skills, Girma overcame roadblocks while simultaneously obtaining her undergraduate and then law degree.

Further reading: 

7 Women Who Shaped the Disability Rights Movement

Highlighting Women's Disability Figures in History

Women Leaders of the ADA

Women with Disabilities

Community Transit plans to expand ZIP Shuttle     

Community Transit has been identifying areas in Snohomish County where people who don’t drive are needing access to public transit to get around their communities. Lynnwood developed a micro transit system in collaboration with Community Transit and community non- profit partners so that people have an easier way to get around. This pilot program called Zip is currently in the stage where it is being studied. The feedback from people who use it has been positive.

Community Transit is now in the early planning stages of expanding this service to other cities (Arlington, Lake Stevens, and Darrington) who are isolated from larger communities. These areas are looking to have more of a shuttle-type service, rather than a bus system, since these areas are smaller. I learned that Darrington had no public transportation access for almost 30 years. They recently partnered with Homage Senior Services Transportation Assistance Program (TAP) to help both Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities by providing transportation access to areas where there are needed services (i.e. from a rural area where there is no public transportation access to a bigger city). Lake Stevens service area seems only to be concentrated around the lake itself and those who live further out of the area who have little to no access to different areas around the city itself. 

Developing a system like Zip Shuttle in smaller areas might better benefit from a fixed bus route. It is the same cost as a regular bus, but you have more payment options available, like Orca/Debit/credit card/cash. Children ride for free until age 19.  The service also has child and baby car seats available for use. As well as bike racks.  It works on an on-demand and shared ride basis like Uber/Lyft through a phone app. They plan to have the service in these areas running within the next 2 years.

Those interested in learning more about this service can find information on Community Transits webpage https://www.CommunityTransit.org/Zip Shuttle.

By: Leigh Spruce, Self-Advocacy Coordinator, Leigh@arcsno.org

Leadership Through Art - Painting Orcas

What does painting Orca whales have anything to do with Leadership? 

Orca whales are powerful, regal creatures. 

They can tip over a boat or lead fishermen to better waters. 

Self-advocates met in early August for a painting class where they all painted an Orca whale leaping out of the water. 

Art teacher Jessie Tear found the Orca picture to give inspiration to the artists and taught some painting techniques. 

All the participants used their unique talents and perspectives to create their own interpretations.  

	The paintings were then submitted to the Evergreen State Fair where they received a purple banner, blue ribbons and a perfect score.