The End is in Sight: Keep the Pressure On

/in , /by Cathy

The legislative session is quickly winding down. Bills must be out of the opposite house of origin by Wednesday and out of fiscal committees by March 2. Session adjourns on March 12.

Most of our priority bills are still alive — and that is good news. You can view the status of bills here.

Last Monday’s revenue forecast came in better than expected, giving budget writers some breathing room as they worked to close the gap.

Over the weekend, both the House and Senate released their proposed budgets. We are relieved to report that some of the worst-case scenarios were NOT included:

  • Proposed eligibility changes to waiver and personal care services that would have eliminated services for 2,500 people — nearly 10% of waiver recipients
  • Severe cuts to Early Supports for Infants & Toddlers that would have rolled provider rates back to 2008 levels

This is a direct result of YOUR advocacy.

Legislators told us they heard loud and clear from the disability community that these cuts were unacceptable. Emails, calls, testimony, and meetings made a difference.

Thank you for speaking up.

The Budgets Are Not Pretty

That said, the budgets are still difficult. There is significant red ink and reductions across many areas. Thankfully, most direct services for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) remain intact — but the system itself is taking hits that will affect stability and long-term capacity.

You can compare the House and Senate budgets side by side here.

A Serious Concern: Elimination of Adult Therapies

There is one major provision in the House budget that we did not see coming.

The House proposal eliminates Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and Speech Therapy for ALL adult Medicaid recipients.

The numbers are troubling:

  • Projected savings: ~$8 million in State General Fund dollars
  • Federal match lost: more than $33 million

In other words, the state would lose far more federal funding than it would save.

But the real cost is human.

Therapies Are Not “Extras.” They Are Medically Necessary.

Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapies:

  • Maintain strength, mobility, and independence
  • Help individuals communicate their needs and reduce crisis behaviors
  • Support safe swallowing and prevent aspiration pneumonia
  • Build everyday life skills so people can live, work, and participate in the community

Cutting therapies does not eliminate need.

It simply shifts costs — to emergency rooms, hospitals, institutional settings, and long-term care — at far greater expense.

We do not want Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs) or nursing facilities to become the only places people can reliably access therapy services. That is a direct blow to community living.

A Forced Choice No One Should Have to Make

While therapies would technically remain available through Medicaid waivers, individuals would be forced to “choose” between therapy services and other essential supports within their limited Individual and Family Services (IFS) or Aggregate budgets — such as:

  • Respite for family caregivers
  • Community engagement
  • Employment supports
  • Behavioral services

This is not real choice. It is rationing.

The good news: this proposal is only in the House budget. There is still time to ensure it does not appear in the final negotiated budget.

 

What you can Do

If this issue matters to you, please contact your House members and tell them:

Do not eliminate PT, OT, and Speech therapy for adult Medicaid recipients. Therapies are medically necessary and life-changing.

What Happens Next?

The House and Senate must now negotiate a final spending plan. The Governor must also sign off — and there are already differences of opinion about revenue assumptions, including reliance on the proposed “Millionaire Tax” (SB6346). More than 100,000 people signed in on that bill, showing how high-stakes this conversation is.In short: the session is not over. Much could still change. Stay tuned.

Your voice matters. We have already seen that advocacy works.

Let’s keep going.

Thank you for your continued partnership. We cannot do this without you.

Proposed budget cuts could cut 5,000 from services

/in /by Katie Gustainis

An article appeared in The Columbian detailing devastating proposed budget cuts that would change eligibility for Waiver services and effectively cut 5,000 people from disability services in Washington State.

Click here to take action now to tell legislators to STOP these changes and REJECT the cuts.

TAKE ACTION NOW

From The Columbian:

“Local advocates, residents and service providers are sounding the alarm over changes to eligibility criteria for Medicaid-funded disability services included in Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed 2026 supplemental budget.

The changes would make it more difficult for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to use a state Medicaid waiver that allows them to access resources from the state’s Developmental Disabilities Community Services. They would have to show a greater level of need to qualify for support, which could make it more difficult for Clark County residents to access the services they need, said Tanya English, community impact and systems manager for Peace NW, a Vancouver nonprofit.

By narrowing the criteria eligibility, up to 5,000 people statewide could lose access to services, according to The Arc of Washington State, an advocacy nonprofit.

Those resources include supported employment, assistive technology, life skills training and skilled nursing.

To qualify for a waiver, a person must demonstrate functional eligibility, meaning they undergo an assessment to evaluate the level and type of care they require.”

Read the whole article at Columbian.com: https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/feb/17/advocates-5000-disabled-people-in-washington-could-lose-access-to-services/

“Jason Rockwood, 40, of Vancouver has been working at Pioneer Feed in Ridgefield for 17 years through Trillium Employment Services, a nonprofit organization that helps integrate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities into the workforce.

Developmental Disabilities Community Services connected him to Trillium, which helped him navigate C-Tran’s paratransit service and provided emotional support to bolster his success in the workplace.

Rockwood said supported employment has allowed him to be independent, see more of the community and have stable income. Losing it would make him feel terrible, he said.”

“Alyeia GeBorde, 25, of Vancouver also receives supported employment with Trillium. A year and a half ago, she landed a job at Trader Joe’s, which she said would not have been possible without the support of her job coach.

Together, they were able to find a job that fit her needs since recovering from surgery for seizures. She said receiving support through Developmental Disabilities Community Services has allowed her to get back on her feet.

Without supported employment, she’d be devastated, she said.”

Click here to take action now to tell legislators to STOP these changes and REJECT the cuts.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Why We Need a Roadmap for the Future

/in , /by Cathy

Why Washington Must Invest in Long-Term Planning Now

We are almost halfway through the legislative session, and it has been a flurry of activity—hearings, executive sessions, meetings—it’s all a bit of a blur. Wednesday, February 4, marked the first major cutoff, when bills needed to be passed out of policy committees. The next key deadline was Monday, February 9, when bills must have been out of the fiscal (money) committees in order to stay alive this session.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been asked whether there is any legislative activity aimed at closing Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs). The short answer is: no. There are currently no bills this session that would close RHCs.

What is happening is a series of small, bipartisan bills intended to gather information, improve transparency, and preserve historical context—steps that can help inform future decisions. These bills include:

  • SB 5863 – An act relating to the preservation and inspection of state historical records
  • HB 2319– Renaming certain state residential facilities for persons with developmental disabilities takes out the word “school”.
  • HB 2350– Increasing transparency regarding Residential Habilitation Center compliance with specific federal requirements

Last year, one of the primary arguments against closing RHCs was that “there was no plan” for how to transition people and build the necessary community-based supports. That concern is real—and it has been echoed for years.

The Developmental Disabilities Community Services (DDCS) system has produced numerous reports and studies, including  The Rucklehaus Report (2019), which identified significant challenges and outlined thoughtful potential solutions. Unfortunately, many of those recommendations stalled during the pandemic and were never fully implemented.

Last summer, The Arc convened dozens of legislators, community members, and disability policy experts at first National Developmental Disabilities Legislative Symposium to review how far we’ve come in Washington state and what is next for investments in community services.

In addition, DDCS has held multiple listening sessions over the past several years, including through the Legislative and Regulatory Community Council (LRCC). These forums consistently highlighted serious gaps in community supports—particularly for individuals in crisis and people with high and complex support needs. The issues are well known. What we continue to lack is a clear, coherent, and funded plan to move forward.

When Governor Inslee took office 13 years ago, he made what was then ALTSA (Aging and Long-Term Services Administration), now part of HCLA, a clear priority. A robust stakeholder process produced a strategic plan to move away from institutional care and toward community-based services. Today, Washington State is considered first or second in the nation (depending on the metrics used) and is widely viewed as a national leader. In 2023 alone, ALTSA supported the transition of 8,053 people into community settings. Other states regularly look to Washington as a model.

That expertise exists. Now that DDCS is also housed within HCLA, we believe it’s time to apply that same level of intentional planning, investment, and accountability to developmental disability services.

For too long, DDCS has operated with a “band-aid” approach—small, one-time investments each biennium that are deemed sufficient without addressing systemic barriers. This leaves families, providers, and individuals with developmental disabilities in a constant state of uncertainty.

That’s why The Arc of Washington is asking the Legislature for a proviso to fund a facilitated, 10-year strategic plan. This plan would build on existing reports, incorporate the extensive input from stakeholder listening sessions, and lay out sequenced, intentional investments to strengthen community-based services statewide.

We know there is little new money available in the operating budget this session. However, there is funding in the Dan Thompson Account, which was specifically created to benefit the developmental disabilities community and build statewide capacity. Even in this difficult budget environment, there is an opportunity to take meaningful steps forward.

We cannot afford to wait any longer. Planning now is the only way to ensure that future decisions—whatever they may be—are thoughtful, data-informed, and centered on the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Call to Action

Now is the time for action. We urge legislators to support a budget proviso that funds a facilitated 10-year strategic plan for Developmental Disability Community Services—a plan grounded in existing research, informed by stakeholder voices, and focused on building real, sustainable community-based supports.

This is not about closing facilities today. It is about doing the responsible work that should have been done years ago: planning for the future, addressing long-standing gaps in services, and ensuring people with developmental disabilities and their families are not left without options.

We ask policymakers to use available resources, including the Dan Thompson Account, to begin this work now. Families, providers, and individuals with developmental disabilities cannot afford to wait another biennium for direction. Every year without a plan is another year of uncertainty, another year of crisis placements, another year people with IDD are struggling without adequate support. The time for planning is now—so that future decisions are thoughtful, data-informed, and centered on dignity and choice – and solutions are chartered across biennial budgets and election cycles.

Let’s plan now, invest strategically, and build the system Washington’s developmental disabilities community has been asking for. The question is no longer whether we have the information to move forward—it’s whether we have the courage to begin.

What Can You Do?

Call your legislator at 1-800-562-6000 and ask them to support the proviso that creates a long-term plan for Developmental Disabilities Community Services.

Coalition of Disability Advocates Urges Legislature to Reject Proposed Medicaid Changes

/in , /by Stacy Dym

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 4, 2026

CONTACT: Stacy Dym, media@arcwa.org, Executive Director of The Arc of Washington State

Disability advocates urge rejection of proposed changes to eligibility for Medicaid-funded community services

OLYMPIA, WA – A statewide alliance of sixty-seven private and non-profit organizations are standing together to oppose Governor Ferguson’s proposal to change functional eligibility criteria for support from Development Disabilities Community Services (DDCS). The group, including the statewide membership of the Community Advocacy Coalition for Developmental Disabilities, is urging the legislature to reject the proposed changes as a false cost-saving tactic that would instead shift costs to crisis systems, reduce federal matching revenue, and remove preventative support that allows people with disabilities to successfully participate in their community. The group sent a letter outlining their opposition and concerns to Senate and House Budget Committee Chairs on January 27, 2026. The full text of the letter can be viewed below or at this link.

To be eligible for state Medicaid Waiver or Personal Care Services through DDCS, individuals must demonstrate functional eligibility – that means that every potential client must undergo an assessment to evaluate whether the meet the established criteria that determines the level and type of care they require. Governor Ferguson’s proposed changes to the criteria would narrow eligibility and cut services for 4,000-5,000 people, including 2,000 to 2,500 people with developmental disabilities on the current caseload.

In their letter to budget writers, advocates identified multiple harmful impacts of changing functional eligibility criteria, including:

  • Lost federal revenue from Medicaid matching dollars
  • Cost-shifting to crisis systems by removing preventative support systems
  • Increasing burnout and burden on family caregivers
  • Delayed access for early intervention in children

Stacy Dym, Executive Director of The Arc of Washington State and one of the lead members of the coalition, said about the proposal, “Our state has rightly made the investment to shift care for people with developmental disabilities into a predominantly community-based model. Home and community-based care is the more affordable, the most aligned with research on best outcomes, and the more preferred option for people with disabilities and their families when compared with segregated institutional options. The legislature must stay the course and avoid the false promise of cutting costs by cutting services. For people with developmental disabilities, the need for support does not go away when funding does – it just shifts the stress and chaos into the hospital or emergency services that are not prepared to provide person-centered, personalized care.”

About The Arc of Washington State

In 1936, The Arc of Washington State was formed by parents of institutionalized children with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) who believed their children deserved more – to be included in their communities and to pursue fulfillment and happiness just like everyone else. The Arc has played a pivotal role in changing the public perception of disability and demanding better opportunities for every child’s future. The Arc’s mission is to promote and protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. Learn more about The Arc of Washington State at arcwa.org.

About the Community Advocacy Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (CAC)

The Community Advocacy Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (CAC) is a grassroots coalition for developmental disabilities that advocates with a common voice for meaningful community living for people with developmental disabilities at the state and local levels. CAC membership consists of any community-based organization that is a nonprofit 501c3, a private business, a chapter of a statewide nonprofit organization, or a governmental association, council, coalition, board or commission that have a primary focus to support, serve and advocate for people with developmental disabilities. The CAC is comprised of over 50 different member organizations that agree to support the core values of the CAC and agree to abide by the group’s responsibilities/rules.

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The full text of the letter can be viewed below or at this link.

CAC Letter to Legislature - 2026.1.27

DD Advocacy Blog: We rallied in Olympia!

/in /by Cathy

On a beautiful but cold Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of individuals with disabilities, families, providers, and advocates from across Washington State gathered on the Capitol steps to raise their voices in unity. Their message was clear and urgent: protect the right to community living and preserve the essential services people with disabilities need to live full, independent lives.

A Threat to Essential Services

With looming threats to disability services, advocates are sounding the alarm — disability services are essential and must be protected from cuts.

The Governor’s proposed budget includes a change that would lower eligibility for long-term care services beginning in 2028, including access to home and community-based waivers and personal care services. While presented as a cost-saving measure, this proposal would have devastating consequences for thousands of Washingtonians.

The Impact

We are only beginning to understand the full impact of this proposal. Early estimates suggest that between 2,000 and 2,500 people currently receiving Developmental Disabilities Community Services (DDCS) would lose all services.
In addition, another 2,000–2,500 individuals served by the Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA) could also lose vital supports — many of whom are people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who opted to receive services through HCLA instead of DDCS.

Although the cuts are aimed at individuals with lower support needs, the real-world impact would be severe. Sometimes, people just need a small amount of support to thrive:

  • A job coach who helps them maintain stable employment
  • A home care worker who visits weekly to provide transportation to get to the store, meal prep, and help around the house
  • A few hours of respite that give families the chance to rest and recharge

When these supports disappear, lives unravel. People may lose their jobs, homes, and independence. Families face burnout. Individuals could end up homeless, hospitalized, institutionalized, or even incarcerated — all of which cost the state far more in the long term.

These proposed changes would:

What Comes Next

We are waiting for both the House and Senate to release their budget proposals to see whether they will adopt similar eligibility cuts. The next few weeks are critical.

What You Can Do

Your voice matters. You can help protect community living and essential supports for people with IDD.

Here’s how:

  • Reach out to your legislators, especially those serving on the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Ways & Means Committee.
    Tell them clearly:

“Do NOT make changes to long-term care eligibility. Protect community services and the right to independent living for people with disabilities.”

  •  Stay informed. Track the budget process and follow our budget side by side for comparisons of the House and Senate proposals to see how they will impact people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Community Services Save Lives and Save Money

 

Community-based supports prevent crises, maintain stability, and avoid higher state costs down the line.

Say NO to costly cuts to Medicaid long-term care eligibility.
Say YES to inclusion, independence, and dignity for all Washingtonians.

MEDIA: Legislators call for bipartisan support of community living

/in , /by Katie Gustainis

Senator Chris Gildon (R) and Representative Janice Zahn (D) have called for bipartisan support of their bill the reduce inefficiencies and make investments in community living go farther for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Read the whole editorial at this link: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wa-should-offer-people-with-disabilities-dignity-choice/

Here’s how WA can preserve services for people with disabilities

January 9, 2026, The Seattle Times, by Chris Gildon and Janice Zahn

Washington cannot afford to waste taxpayer dollars on redundant bureaucracy, especially when such inefficiencies get in the way of providing direct services for people in need. This could not be more true when it comes to direct support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It must be a priority during our upcoming 60-day legislative session as we work to manage a difficult state budget situation.

Our goal is simple: streamline oversight of Supported Living services so limited Medicaid funds go further, caregivers spend more time with clients and taxpayers see real value for every dollar spent. That’s why we are working together on bipartisan legislation (SB 6024 and HB 2230) to cut wasteful redundancies, preserve rigorous and focused oversight and direct more of the budget to where it will do the most good.

Because state law requires a balanced budget, and as lawmakers we face another multibillion‑dollar shortfall in 2026, our choice is clear: Either cut services for vulnerable Washingtonians or make existing programs more efficient so we can preserve and strengthen care without relying on new money.

Roughly 4,700 Washingtonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities live in their own homes with the help of Supported Living services. These services are almost entirely funded by Medicaid, which covers the wages of direct support professionals — often providing care 24 hours a day, seven days a week — as well as the administrative systems that connect people with the right support in their communities. There are about 14,000 trained DSPs in our state, and a Supported Living home with three clients relies on 10 direct support professionals to provide care, though many homes have fewer than three clients so that each setting is appropriate for each client’s behavioral health. For example, DSPs help with daily care such as personal hygiene, cooking, cleaning, managing prescriptions, budgeting, grocery shopping and supporting connections in the community. This model is less costly than state‑run facilities, keeps people in their familiar neighborhoods and is already subject to multiple layers of public oversight.

Public oversight of Medicaid programs like Supported Living is important for protecting the interests of taxpayers and the well-being of Supported Living clients. However, over the years, many disparate new policies and agency programs have created overlap and redundancies in this oversight…(Read the rest at this link)

 

MEDIA: Editorial by Stacy Dym urges protection of community services

/in , , /by Katie Gustainis

The Seattle Times published a powerful guest editorial by Stacy Dym, Executive Director of The Arc of Washington State. Read the beginning here and the rest at this link: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wa-should-offer-people-with-disabilities-dignity-choice/

WA should offer people with disabilities dignity, choice

December 18, 2025, The Seattle Times, by Stacy Dym

“Pink-painted walls. A cat. The freedom to eat popcorn while you watch your favorite TV show. These aren’t luxuries, but they felt that way to my sister when she was finally moved from a state institution for the developmentally disabled into a community-based group home almost 40 years ago.

Thanks to the expansion of state home and community-based services (HCBS), she was allowed to waive her so-called “right” to live in a restrictive institutional environment. Instead, she could choose a home in the community that gave her freedoms most of us take for granted while still providing the care she needed.

Dignity, for her, was as simple as a choice.

Today, 78% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Washington state live with family for the majority of their lifetime. This is largely because there’s nowhere else for them to go.

Although large institutions are no longer the norm, home and community-based services have never received a comparable level of investment in our state. Today, almost one-third of people with IDD who’ve been identified by the state are still waiting for a chance to live in the community.

When family resources run dry, caregivers age or someone gets sick (and they will), crisis is imminent. For people with complex health or behavioral needs, many get stuck for years in the hospital, state institutions or unfit environments that were never meant to be permanent placements.

Now, as our Legislature stares over a fiscal cliff, people with developmental disabilities and their families are terrified about what lies ahead…” (Read the rest at this link).

RELEASE: Disability advocates letter to DSHS urges alternative campus uses for Rainier School

/in , /by Stacy Dym

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 12, 2025

CONTACT: Stacy Dym, stacy@arcwa.org, Executive Director of The Arc of Washington State

Closing the Rainier School: Disability advocacy organizations urge DSHS Secretaries to seek alternative campus uses

SEATTLE, WA – The Arc of Washington State and seven affiliated local chapters of The Arc sent a letter this week to the interim and incoming directors of The Department of Social and Human Services (DSHS) urging them to continue their transition away from the existing, outdated institutional model for care of people with developmental disabilities. Attached to the letter, The Arc included their full answers to the four questions posed in a DSHS ninety-day public comment period that resulted from SSB 5393: Closing the Rainier School.

In their recommendations for how to mitigate the impacts of closure, The Arc reminds the state of Washington’s long history of supporting hundreds of previous residents and families during successful transitions from RHCs to community-based care over the past several decades. They cite the specific transition planning guidelines that are outlined in numerous legislative reports from 2019 through 2023 and urge the prioritization of person-centered planning. They acknowledge that while some institutions have provided necessary care in the past, we now have the capacity and responsibility to offer something better: person-centered, inclusive services that support individuals to live, work, and thrive in the communities of their choice.

Despite fervent, decades-long advocacy to close congregate institutions like Rainier School (also called a Residential Habilitation Center, or RHC) led by people with intellectual and development disabilities who are directly at-risk of institutionalization, the state legislature allowed logistical concerns to delay the closure of Rainier School and impede our progress towards a more just, compassionate, and inclusive system of care for people with developmental disabilities.

The Arc wrote in their concluding answer of the public comment:

“The Rainier School campus represents valuable state assets that can better serve Washington residents through alternative uses aligned with evidence-based practices and civil rights principles. The current campus utilization represents a significant underuse of state resources and flies in the face of current research on outcomes and civil rights protections for people with developmental disabilities. Any alternative use should maximize the productive capacity of this substantial state investment. A thoughtful transition process can honor the economic needs of Buckley, protect state employment, and redirect these resources toward other populations who could benefit from comprehensive residential services delivered in a more appropriate and effective manner.”

About The Arc of Washington State

In 1936, The Arc of Washington State was formed by parents of institutionalized children with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) who believed their children deserved more – to be included in their communities and to pursue fulfillment and happiness just like everyone else. The Arc has played a pivotal role in changing the public perception of disability and demanding better opportunities for every child’s future. The Arc’s mission is to promote and protect the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. Learn more about The Arc of Washington State at arcwa.org.

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DSHS Letter - Rainier Public Comment - 9.9.2025

Critical Developmental Disabilities Infrastructure is at Risk

/in , /by Sarah

Contact Congress: Critical Disability Services Are at Risk

Thank you for your powerful advocacy throughout this challenging year. We know it can be discouraging at times, but please remember: your voice is making a difference. Every story you share, every call you make, and every message you send reminds Congress that people with disabilities and their families are paying attention.

Because of you, lawmakers know we are watching—and they are feeling the pressure.

Congress is back in session after the August recess, and they are now making decisions about next year’s federal budget. The stakes could not be higher for people with disabilities and their families.

 Federal Disability Programs on the Chopping Block

Key programs under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) are at risk, including:

  • State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (DD Councils)
  • Protection & Advocacy (P&A) Systems
  • University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs)
  • National Technical Assistance and Training Network

These programs:

  • Support inclusive education, employment, and community living.
  • Fund research and data on disability issues.
  • Train providers, families, and self-advocates to improve outcomes nationwide.
  • Defend rights, prevent abuse, and promote inclusion through advocacy and innovation.

Without them, the health, safety, and future of people with disabilities in every state would be at risk.

What’s Happening in Congress

  • The Senate has advanced a budget that keeps these programs “flat funded”—holding them at current levels, despite growing demand and rising costs.
  • The House is still debating its budget, but reports indicate they are considering deep cuts that could dismantle or entirely eliminate these programs.

Threats to Inclusive Education

Congress is also weighing proposals that would weaken the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by merging key funding streams into a block grant. This dangerous move could:

  • Cut funding for preschool services for children with disabilities.
  • Reduce the pipeline of special education teachers, counselors, therapists, and paraprofessionals.
  • Strip schools of resources they need to support students with disabilities.

Take Action Now

We need a federal budget that invests in people with disabilities—not one that dismantles 50 years of hard-won progress.

Tell your Members of Congress to:

  • Reject harmful cuts
  • Fully fund the DD Act and IDEA
  • Protect the rights, education, and inclusion of people with disabilities in every community

Send a message to Congress today: Protect disability services. Fund our future.

Act Now!

State-Level Challenges Ahead

Washington State legislators are already bracing for a difficult session, with pressure mounting from anticipated cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs. Additional budget challenges are looming:

  • On September 23, the next State Revenue Forecast will be released. Early signs suggest a “down” forecast—making cuts even more likely.
  •  On September 4, Governor Ferguson announced that new federal tariffs are projected to cause $2.2 billion in lost revenue over the next four years.
  •  Nationwide, The Arc of the U.S. is tracking troubling trends: states are already implementing 3% average cuts to Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and 8–10% cuts to Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs).

With Washington’s legislative session beginning in January, we will need all hands on deck to defend critical disability services and supports.

How you can prepare:
Stay tuned for upcoming advocacy webinars in December that will give you the tools and strategies to make your voice heard when it matters most.

Together, we can ensure people with disabilities have the services and support they need to thrive.

In community,

Cathy Murahashi

Public Policy Specialist

We hosted the country’s first bipartisan DD legislative symposium last week

/in /by Stacy Dym

Last week was an historic week in Washington. Despite the news swirling around us about the federal government’s proposed catastrophic cuts to Medicaid, our team was proud to gather with dozens of legislators from Washington and across the country, including North Carolina, Iowa, Arizona, Arkansas, Utah, Alaska, West Virginia, Georgia, Nevada, Kansas, Florida, and Idaho. Together, we sat down to start an essential national conversation about what comes next for policy impacting the care and treatment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

Representative Jamila Taylor from Federal Way (the 30th legislative district) led the way as the co-host of our three-day gathering. Together, we pulled off the first bipartisan national Developmental Disabilities Legislative Symposium right here in Washington state. Our goal in gathering together was to identify opportunities for states to take responsibility for the IDD community within the context of the federal government’s actions. After two days of legislator discussions and presentations from national experts, Washington elected officials were joined on the third day by a large contingent of IDD community members – including  state agency staff, community leaders from the Community Advocacy Coalition, and local thought-leaders – for a deeper dive into local policy questions and round-table conversations.

“This week we established a national working cohort of legislators who will prioritize people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families,” said Representative Jamila Taylor in a press release about the symposium. Representative Taylor was the symposium co-host, is the chair of the bipartisan Developmental Disability (DD) Advocacy Caucus in the Washington state legislature, and is the twin sibling to her brother who has a developmental disability.

“With our national debate about the role of Medicaid and state responsibilities coming to heightened levels, Washington state’s DD Advocacy Caucus is leading the national conversation about how we can collectively call out systemically ableist, arbitrary, and oppressive policies that keep people with IDD and their families from thriving.  I am proud of the work we’ve done and am ready to move this cohort and our country forward from talk into action.”

In the coming weeks, we will have even more to share about the outcomes of our community discussions. In the meantime, I’d like to invite you to take a look at the presentation slides from our presenters and check out the photo gallery at this link.

Check out the Symposium presentations and photo gallery

CLICK HERE

A group of approximately 50 adults gathered for a group photo and smiling at the camera

This kind of gathering of community members and elected officials is an essential part of the democratic process. In order to ensure that we are building solutions that center the humanity of people with IDD, we must first start by sharing our stories and creating space for authentic connection and dialogue. I look forward to working alongside our legislative champions to address the community’s top priority issues in 2026 and beyond.

Thank you for standing alongside us as supporters of The Arc.

In community,

Stacy Dym