The Arc of Washington is excited to welcome Cathy Murahashi!
The Arc of Washington State is extremely pleased to announce that we have hired Cathy Murahashi as our new Public Policy Specialist! Cathy comes back to The Arc after serving most of her career supporting families through The Arc of King County. Cathy is a well-known, respected, experienced, and savvy mobilizer and connector for families and self-advocates. She has decades of legislative experience, working on bills, analyzing budgets, coalescing families to testify in Olympia, talking to legislators, and connecting our community to tell their stories.
Cathy worked for over 18 years coordinating The Arc of King County’s Parent to Parent program, the King County Parent and Family Coalition, and very notably the King County Developmental Disabilities Legislative Forums which attracted over 600 family members, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), mission-based providers supporting our community, policymakers, and allied community members. She is the go-to navigator when families are “stuck” trying to remove barriers to services for their loved one and she is a talented problem-solver when gaps appear. Cathy has also been a steadfast educator on Supported Employment and pathways to employment for young adults and adults with IDD.
For the past four years, Cathy has immersed herself in housing supports, services, and policy for people with developmental disabilities in her work at Community Homes. She created a family network and curriculum for the adult transition to community living and has been a central voice on the need for housing, how housing is funded in our state, and working with legislators to understand better how to solve for our community needs. She is knowledgeable not only in housing supports but brings families together to talk about their vision for the future, is a benefits planner, and helps families and individuals with disabilities understand what resources may be available to them for housing and how to maintain benefits when a person with developmental disabilities is successfully employed.
Cathy does this work with a lens of lived experience as a parent. She crafted a transition-based curriculum for students and parents who are readying themselves for life after high school which she taught in collaboration with her adult son with disabilities. She is also a staunch advocate for her adult daughter, Holly who has developmental disabilities.
We cannot wait for Cathy to get started. I know so many of you will enthusiastically welcome her to her new position and will reach out to get support, share ideas, and help us bring our community together.
Stacy Dym, Executive Director, The Arc of Washington State
You can reach Cathy at cathy@arcwa.org
Registration is now open for the Annual Legislative Notebook Meeting!
When: Monday, December 4, 2023
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
How: This will be an online, Zoom event.
Important: Registration is required. You can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpde6hqzgpGNP4V7_7yujXn-lXgWGeh_qB
Please join the Community Advocacy Coalition for our annual Legislative Notebook Meeting, where we share issues of importance and legislative priorities for the 2024 state legislative session.
The “notebook” is a tool you can use to advocate for better services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Community Advocacy Coalition is made up more than 80 member groups working collectively to promote dignity and respect for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to ensure people get the supports they need to live a quality life. Come hear what will we be focused on this session!
If you have any questions of difficulties getting signed up, please contact Ramona Hattendorf RHattendorf@arcofkingcounty.org
NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOUR VOICES TO BE HEARD!
With the changes in our world due to COVID-19, many things have changed. One huge thing is that meetings are no longer held in-person. They are now being held in virtual rooms using Zoom or another program. The Arc of Washington wants to ensure that people with intellectual/developmental disabilities are still able to access the information being provided. With all our meetings now being held virtually using Zoom, we want to make them accessible, whenever possible. We are adding closed captioning, live-streaming them on Facebook and other accommodations, as needed. Are you new to the Zoom Boom? Click here to learn some basics!
Take Action Now: The Arc of Washington’s Action Center helps you easily make your voice heard by the people who represent your voice. Their is an Action Alert for you to send your concerns about the budget cuts directly to your legislators. It is also very important that you be well informed about what the candidates who want your vote for Congressional and Legislative seat have in knowledge and experience working on I/DD issues. You can also learn more using our Voter Information campaign.
Programs: Please don’t hesitate to utilize services and programs from The Arc of Washington, its local chapters and other I/DD organizations. Our Parent to Parent program will help connect young families to more experienced parents. Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) members make sure their voices are heard by legislators at our Virtual Advocacy Days.
Would you like to receive an occasional e-newsletter from The Arc’s News to Know? It’s easy to sign up to keep updated about issues of importance to people with I/DD and their families.
Click Here to sign up for The Arc of Washington’s Action Alerts
The Arc of Washington State advocates for and besides children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. We have been advocating since 1936, and we envision a world where people with I/DD are included in their communities and neighborhoods and where quality supports and services respond to their needs and personal choices.
Join us, we are passionate because it’s personal!
