The Washington Capitol in Olympia.
Our Advocacy team provides Training and Consulting to staff, Board, key people, organizations, and people with disabilities. They participate in public speaking events, presentations, webinars, and panels. They seek input from our community and participate in Grassroots Advocacy which includes Advocacy Alerts, testimony, education, interviews, tours, stories, videos, and support of the Mission Team.
The Arc’s mission is to advocate for the rights and full participation of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They support and empower individuals and families; connect and inform individuals and families; improve support and service systems; influence public policy; increase public awareness; and inspire inclusive communities.
Community Employment Alliance (CEA) members collaborate with one another and with their communities to strengthen employment opportunities for people of all abilities.
Our system makes it easy to contact your local Representatives and Legislators with the information you need to share with them. When you receive an Advocacy Action Alert, the alert and the action to take will be clearly and simply outlined.
“Voting is the language of American democracy. The ability to participate in civic life — to have a voice in choosing the elected officials whose decisions impact our lives, families, and communities — is at the core of what it means to be an American.” – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
How to register to vote in Washington State
Taking the time to learn about your legislators is a valuable step in your advocacy efforts. Their personal history informs their public policy decisions and provides information that you can use to make connections with them. Don’t hesitate to reach out! They want to listen to you.
Self-Advocate Ivanova Smith supports Employment Advocacy both legislatively and through community education. Ivanova also serves as a Self-Advocate faculty for the UW Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, and as hub team faculty for Project ECHO Ausitm Washington. Ivanova also serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and co-chairs the Pierce County Developmental Disability Advisory Council, chairs the Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL), and leads the local People First chapter in Pierce County. Previously, Ivanova served on the board of the Washington State Rehabilitation Council (WSRC) and the Working for Inclusive and Transformative Healthcare (WITH) Foundation Advisory Council.
John Lemus, Manager of Advocacy
John is an individual with multiple disabilities and has almost 20 years in public policy and government affairs in the developmental disabilities field. John has a strong social justice compass and has worked on and led multiple grassroots campaigns to effect change for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The most recent being lead on ending sub-minimum wage in the state of Washington! In 2014 John was the recipient of the SourceAmerica Tom Miller Award For Advocacy.
John has lived experience being paid sub-minimum wage and is committed to getting sub-minimum wages banned at the federal level so that people with disabilities have the same min wage protections as their neurotypical peers!
