Brandi Monts, Emily Rogers, Cathy Murahashi, Ed Lam, and Melanie Cates in front of Capitol building in Washington DC while attending the Disability Policy Seminar 2024
2025 Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council
Legislative Priorities
The Washington State DD Council Supports Proposals that:
Appropriately fund home and community-based services that support all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families throughout life.
Remove barriers and improve access to local and community supports so that people can choose the types of services that best enable them to live meaningful and productive lives.
Uphold the human and civil rights of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities to live lives that are integrated, inclusive and free from abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation, and discrimination.
Address the needs of underserved communities that are disproportionately impacted by gaps in services including race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability status, socioeconomic level and age.
Emily Rogers, Cathy Murahashi, Ed Lam, and Melanie Cates in Washington DC for the Disability Policy Seminar 2024
The topic areas that the Council has chosen to focus on this Session are:
Workforce Issues - People need to know that there will be reliable help when they need it to reduce isolation and increase safety and independence. This includes but is not limited to Job Coaches and Individual, Residential, and Community Providers. We also support the use of creative technology solutions.
Restraint and Isolation – Eliminate restraint and isolation through the use of specialized and individualized supports, training, and alternatives.
Things we're watching:
Ambulance (Power Wheelchair Transport) in an emergency
Flexibility in how and when personal care can be delivered so that people can move around freely in the community
Voted on and Approved by the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council
