In 1999, two major legal actions in Washington State highlighted serious concerns about how services were provided to people with developmental disabilities and helped shape future policy and oversight. One case, filed by Disability Rights Washington (DRW) (formerly called the Washington Protection and Advocacy System or WPAS). alongside patients and families, was Allen v. Western State Hospital. This class action lawsuit challenged unsafe and inadequate conditions for people with developmental disabilities at Western State Hospital and in its treatment and discharge planning. The lawsuit led to a series of settlement agreements requiring improvements in staffing, training, quality oversight, discharge planning, and access to community-based supports for people leaving the hospital.

Also in 1999, The Arc of Washington State and several individuals filed a lawsuit challenging Washington State’s limits on access to Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). The plaintiffs argued that capping enrollment in the HCBS program forced people into institutional settings and limited their opportunities to live in the community. While courts ultimately held that federal Medicaid waiver rules allow the state to limit participation under certain conditions, the case clarified how Medicaid and disability discrimination laws interact and resulted in associated improvements in hearing rights and challenges to specific service reductions. Together, these legal actions exposed gaps in the system, reinforced legal boundaries, and encouraged changes that improved protections and accountability for people with developmental disabilities in Washington.

Together, these cases show how legal action in 1999 played a critical role in exposing gaps in services, defining legal boundaries, and pushing Washington State toward stronger protections and accountability for people with developmental disabilities.