Mike Raymond’s journey from life inside Rainier School to becoming one of Washington’s most influential self-advocates helped shape the state’s disability rights movement and continues to guide efforts toward community-based supports today.

Through the DD Act, the federal government established DD Councils and a national network dedicated to strengthening disability rights, promoting community living, and ensuring that people with developmental disabilities guide decisions that affect their lives.

A timeline from ITACC traces how the DD Act evolved from 1970 to 2000 into a comprehensive civil rights and community-living framework centered on inclusion, self-determination, and strong advocacy roles for DD Councils.

Shawn Latham shares his perspective on disability advocacy and systems change. He talks about his own lived experience, his involvement with disability organizations, and what it has meant to be part of advocacy work over time.