A statewide behavioral health and developmental disabilities conference that brings together subject matter experts, stakeholders and other resources to focus on and plan around this topic. This includes presenters and other relevant topics that intersect with the behavioral health and the intellectual and developmental disability community.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Administration for Community Living asked Councils to create a goal or objective to address national, state and local emergencies that disproportionately affect people with IDD and their families. The DD Council received federal funding to address Covid hesitancy and enhancing the public workforce.

The Covid hesitancy grant was funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Administration on Community Living (ACL) to provide services, information and education to various underserved populations to eliminate barriers for people receiving Covid-19 vaccines. This project funded several grassroots organizations to engage in activities to educate the public and promote getting people with IDD and others to get vaccinated. These projects provided gift cards to people getting vaccinated. Provided transportation for people to get vaccinated, held informational events where vaccines were available and produced an animated video on the importance of vaccines for people with IDD and direct service providers. This project was funded with money under the American Rescue Plan Act distributed by the Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Disease Control. Withing Washington state, the distribution of the funding was collaborative effort between the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UW UCEDD), Disability Rights Washington, the Washington State Independent Living Councils and the Washington State DD Council. The projects funded covered rural areas and BIPOC communities.

The Behavioral Health Project, initiated in 2024, is a research project to focus on what is currently happening nationally and in Washington State around evidence-based practices that are culturally relevant and focused on helping individuals and families in the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Community.

This project produced a report that is being used as the basis for further activities addressing the barriers experienced by people with IDD and mental/behavioral health challenges as the access services and supports.

The final report may be found at: Behavioral Health Report

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In 2022 and 2023, the Washington State Legislature funded the Council to conduct a study on the barriers to accessing supports and services for people with IDD from diverse populations with recommendations to increase meaningful inclusion. The Council contracted with Northwest Center and the Equity in Education Coalition to conduct a study and provide the report. This report will be used to inform future Council DEI efforts.

The DD Council recognizes that racism, ableism, poverty, geography and many other circumstances often impact people with IDD and their families disproportionately to the general population. The Council engages in DEI work, both internally and the community, to create a more inclusive and powerful society. The Council has contracted with Offshootz, LLC to work with the Council on implementing DEI best practices to make the Council more inclusive and powerful for ALL people regardless of background. Through tailored services, Offshootz facilitated DEI training sessions, a full-day workshop, and a Train-the-Trainer program to equip Council staff and members with the tools to build stronger relationships and foster a more inclusive environment. Resources like a Land Acknowledgment, Communication Guide, and Values Diagram were also developed to support WADDC's ongoing efforts.

The DD Council recognizes that racism, ableism, poverty, geography and many other circumstances often impact people with IDD and their families disproportionately to the general population. The Council engages in DEI work, both internally and the community, to create a more inclusive and powerful society. The DD Council worked with Wandke Accessibility on a 6-phase project which provided an assessment and recommendations for improving the accessibility of Council meetings and activities. This included website evaluation, stakeholder engagement, analysis, and final report.

The Council actively nurtures and promotes collaborations with community organizations and governmental agencies to create capacity, advocate and reform and improve systems. The Community Advocacy Coalition (CAC) is a grassroots coalition for Developmental Disabilities that provides a platform for advocacy organizations to share information, educate one another on issues of mutual concern, and coordinate their legislative agendas to give people with disabilities a stronger voice in government affairs. The CAC accomplishes this task by advocating with a common voice for meaningful community living at the state and local levels.

The Council partnered with the Snohomish County Health Department to develop resources that strengthen the public policy workforce and improve public health communication with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This project was partially funded by the Council’s federal partner, the Administration for Community Living. The result is a guide titled Guidance for Improving Accessibility of Public Health Communications: A Reference for Communicating with Snohomish County Residents with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities. This resource has the potential to help public health systems better serve the IDD community—both in daily operations and during emergencies.

The Program was funded under the American Rescue Plan Act distributed by the Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Disease Control. The Council solicited applications and a proposal to design a guide to improve communications for public health professionals from the Snohomish County Department of Health was selected in a competitive process. The toolkit has been shared with all 39 DD programs in every county in Washington State and will be presented nationally later this month at an ITACC TAI training session.

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The Council addresses the value of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging through the leadership project with Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF). ODMF provides education, resources and opportunities for people with IDD and their families to advocate on the issues important to them from diverse communities.

Washington State Allies in Advocacy (Allies) is a civil rights nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Allies is governed and staffed by people with I/DD. They advocate for policies and programs in all aspects of society that increase the power of people with DD to make the decisions to live the lives we choose, the ability to access all the resources available to everyone else, the opportunities to build wealth and have an equal say in our local, national and international communities. Allies funding comes from a few sources, and a significant portion of it comes from the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC). Through the financial help DDC provides, Allies is able to support our statewide and community self-advocacy organizations through technical assistance work. Allies, also, holds trainings for the community on various topics to help those with I/DD lead more meaningful lives.   

The Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council is committed to addressing the pressing issue of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) residing in restrictive settings such as jails, prisons, and hospitals. The Incarceration Research Project was awarded to University of Washington: University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). It resulted in a report that reviews laws at state and national levels addressing criminal justice involvement of people with IDD, documents programs, practices, and initiatives related to criminal justice and people with IDD and provides recommendations for future policies and programs. To the extent possible with the available literature, the report will highlight the disproportionate criminal justice involvement of racial and ethnic communities and/or rural or other historically marginalized or underserved IDD communities and the intersectionality of identity and systems.

The Advocacy Partnership Project trains and supports individuals in leadership skills and systems advocacy about people with developmental disabilities and their families. The project prepares participants to get involved in advocacy at the local, state and federal level. This is a long-standing project between the Council and Arc of Washington.

The Dementia Action Collaborative (DAC) is a group of public and private partners committed to preparing Washington state for the growth of the population living with dementia. The Council collaborates with the DAC on issues of concern to people with IDD and their families.

People with IDD who have mental health challenges often face extreme barriers to receiving appropriate supports and services. The Council is commissioned a report by the National Leadership Consortium on the barriers faced by people with mental health challenges and IDD. The results of this process will be the basis for Council action in the final years of this State Plan.

Self-Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) is a group in Washington State that brings together people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to speak up about important issues. SAIL focuses on making sure people with IDD have their voices heard when decisions are made that affect their lives. The group talks about challenges like finding good housing, getting fair healthcare, having reliable transportation, and accessing quality services. By working together, members of SAIL help create positive changes in laws and policies that lead to better lives and more opportunities. The work of SAIL is mostly around legislative issues, but the information and skills learned are also used in local communities.

The Council contracts with the Arc of Washington to conduct the Advocacy Partnership Project. This project provides information, resources and training to people with IDD and their families to effectively advocate on the issues most important to them.

The Advocacy Leadership Development Cohort (ALDC) project, launched by the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, was created to empower communities across the state to address barriers affecting individuals with developmental disabilities. This initiative fostered the formation of Community Teams that lead advocacy efforts, developed innovative solutions, and drove meaningful policy changes. Through structured training and support, the ALDC increased the capacity of these teams to enable the navigation of challenges and advocacy for sustainable, impactful changes within their communities. The project culminated in a final event that took place in Olympia, WA where the community teams and trainers participated in mock testimonies in the hearing room on the Capitol Campus. The Council contracted with nine individuals or organizations to focus on local issues within their communities.

These projects were supported through educational and training opportunities provided by Peace Northwest, Open Doors for Multicultural Families, and The Arc of Snohomish County.

Grantees:  

Alatheia Riding Center, Community Employment Alliance, Freimont/Delta E4, JiSolutions , Kids Rise Fund, People First of Washington, Progress House, Prolific Success, Wise

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The goal of the Transition Collaborative is to improve transition planning activities for students who qualify for services from the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA). In 2020, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction released Transition Collaborative Summative Report the that includes research and data on transition, recommendations for improving transition outcomes for students with disabilities in Washington, and more.

In 2022, Washington State Legislature passed SSB5790, which strengthened critical supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by moving forward the Transition Collaborative's four recommendations: Expanding Statewide School to Work program, establishing a Transition Council, Interagency Transition Networks (ITNs), and data share agreement with OSPI, DDA & DVR.

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Informing Families is a resource provided by the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, in collaboration with the Developmental Disabilities Administration and other partners throughout the state. Informing Families provides trusted news and information to individuals and families that empowers them to be active participants in planning and building a network of support and opportunities. This project also includes a website redesign, custom content management, system construction and expanding accessibility for the Informing Families website.

The purpose of the Home and Community Based Services Quality Assurance Advisory Committee is to provide oversight and guidance for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) administered by the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA).

The NorthStar Project was created by the WADDC, it was a coalition (group) of people with disabilities, families, and service and advocacy organizations. This coalition was formed to try to create an omnibus (large) legislative bill to address the IDD community’s urgent needs. This project disbanded in 2023.

The Dan Thompson Memorial Developmental Disabilities Community Services Account was established by the Washington State Legislature in 2005 following the death of Dan Thompson—an advocate, Microsoft employee, and person with a developmental disability. The fund was created to improve services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across the state.Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the account has been supported through a combination of funds from the lease or sale of real estate associated with I/DD institutions and the American Rescue Plan Act. To date, $51,620,425 has been awarded to projects across 18 counties, with an estimated impact on more than 60,000 individuals with I/DD and their families.