Powered By Google Translate
The Arc Washington
Donate
MENUMENU
        • Search Search
  • Who We Are
        • Who We Are

        • Our Team
        • Our Chapters
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
          • Children Limited
          • Game of the Year
        • Connect
          • The Arc National
          • Self Advocacy
          • Parent to Parent
          • State Services
          • Work for Us
        • Membership
        • Commitment to Confronting Racism
  • Parent to Parent
        • Parent to Parent

        • Parent to Parent Support Program
        • P2P State Map
        • P2P Program Information
        • Family Stories
        • Historias Familias
        • P2P Info & Resources
          • Parent Coalitions
          • Autism Resources
          • Camp Resources
          • Diversity Info Resources
          • OEO
          • PAVE
        • Getting Started/Contact Us
        • Programa de Idioma Español e Información de Recursos
        • Coordinators Only
  • Advocacy
        • Advocacy

        • Advocacy Days
        • Action Center
        • Advocacy Partnership Project
        • Public Policy
        • Bill Tracker
        • 2024 Elections
        • Medicaid Resources and Information
        • Legislative Notebook
        • Tools You Can Use
  • Programs
        • Programs

        • Parent to Parent
        • Thurston County Developmental Disabilities Coalition
        • Arc Trust Fund
        • Family Mentors
        • Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL)
        • Partners4Housing
        • Endowment Trust Fund
  • Publications
        • Give To The ArcMembershipBoard Member PortalBlog
  • Menu Menu
Give To The ArcMembershipBoard Member PortalBlogFind a ChapterSearch
Parent to Parent>Washington State Parent to Parent Network>Grassroots Advocacy 7>>

Legal Advocacy

  • OVERVIEW
  • WHY IT MATTERS
  • WHAT THE ARC IS DOING
  • HOW YOU CAN HELP

Overview

SHARE

Since 1950, The Arc has played a key role in establishing federal disability rights laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Arc has also, throughout its history, fought tooth and nail to establish, expand, and maintain critical federal programs such as Medicaid, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and the Affordable Care Act. These laws and programs make community living possible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and litigation is a vital tool to ensure their promise is fully realized. Through its Legal Advocacy Fund, The Arc participates in individual and systemic litigation and amicus (friend of the court) briefs in jurisdictions around the country to advance the rights of our constituents in all aspects of life, including community integration, fair housing, employment, education, criminal justice, parenting, self-determination, and more.

SIGN UP FOR LEGAL ADVOCACY UPDATES
Lawyer explaining case to a client. Close-up of hands and clipboard.

Why It Matters

Through litigation, The Arc seeks to ensure that there is robust enforcement of disability and civil rights laws at all levels of state and federal courts, so that people with disabilities can live, work, and learn in the communities of their choice — free from discrimination. Individual lawsuits, system-change litigation, and amicus briefs provide opportunities to advance the rights of people with I/DD nationwide in all aspects of life. Throughout its history, The Arc has been involved in seminal disability rights lawsuits leading to the enactment of the IDEA and paving the way for the deinstitutionalization movement. By working to enforce disability and civil rights laws, The Arc empowers the members of our community to not only fight against injustice, but to choose the lives they want and to live in a world that protects their civil rights and human dignity.

Smiling man with disability in motorized wheelchair riding down a sidewalk ramp

Sign Up for Email Updates
Newsletters, free resources, events, advocacy, and more

SIGN UP

What The Arc Is Doing

The Arc participates in litigation in jurisdictions throughout the country in multiple ways, including as counsel, as a party, and as amicus. The Arc’s litigation work covers a wide range of issues pertaining to the rights of people with I/DD in all aspects of life for the purpose of advancing the principles embodied in our organizational mission and position statements to promote and protect the civil and human rights of people with I/DD and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

Cases
Learn more about current and past cases The Arc is and has been involved in.

Amicus Briefs
Learn more about The Arc’s amicus work. Amicus briefs are submitted to the court by people and organizations who are not parties to the case itself, but who want to offer their expertise on the matters involved to assist the court in making a decision.

A woman in a face mask

Federal Complaints Filed Over COVID-19 Medical Discrimination

Since the pandemic began, The Arc, along with our state and national partners, has filed a number of complaints with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights challenging crisis standard of care plans, no-visitor policies, and inaccessible COVID-19 testing sites as discriminating against people with disabilities in states across the country. These complaints have resulted in critical victories that protect the rights of people with disabilities to receive equal access to medical care during this pandemic. The Arc is continuing to fight for the rights of people with disabilities to receive equal access to treatment as the pandemic continues.

LEARN MORE

How You Can Help

There are many ways to advocate with and support The Arc’s grassroots movement.

Orange mouse pointer icon

ACT NOW

Receive updates with the latest news and ways to act.

Link to: Donation
Orange icon of hand holding a coin

DONATE

Help strengthen our policy advocacy efforts to protect critical programs.

Orange icon of person with plus sign

FOLLOW US ONLINE

Join us on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news.

Orange icon of open book

SHARE YOUR STORY

Share the impact of critical programs on your life.

Link to: Get Involved
Orange icon of three hands reaching up

GET INVOLVED

Find and connect with your local or state chapter of The Arc.

Link to: Find Resources
Orange icon of three books on bookshelf

ACCESS RESOURCES

Find more information on this topic.

Recent News

Devastating Medicaid cuts revealed

Learn more >

Sine Die: 2025 Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Learn more >

Letter to legislators from 48 organizations: Close RHCs

Learn more >

Disability Rights: From History to Action

Learn more >
VIEW ALL

Legal Advocacy Committee

The Arc’s Legal Advocacy Committee is appointed by the President of our Board of Directors and serves as an advisory council to inform The Arc’s expertise and help The Arc make decisions about litigation it participates in. Learn more about our current Committee members below.

  • Jasmine Harris (Committee Chair) | Professor of Law | University of California, Davis School of Law | Davis, CA
  • Michael Breeskin | Counsel, AdvocacyDenver Center for Special Education Law | Denver, CO
  • Natalie Chin | Associate Professor of Clinical Law & Co-Director, Disability and Aging Justice Clinic | City University of New York School of Law | Long Island City, NY
  • Ernest Galvan | Partner, Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP | San Francisco, CA
  • Lisa Greenman | Attorney, Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel | Washington, DC
  • Thomas Judd | Attorney, Morrison Sund PLLC | Minneapolis, MN
  • Ruth Luckasson | Chair, Department of Special Education, University of New Mexico College of Education | Albuquerque, NM
  • Jamelia Morgan | Associate Professor of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law | Hartford, CT
  • Jessica Oppenheim | Director, Criminal Justice Advocacy Program, The Arc New Jersey | North Brunswick, NJ
  • Katherine Perez | Visiting Professor of Law & Director, Loyola Law School Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, & Innovation | Los Angeles, CA
  • Kali Schellenberg | Attorney, Relman Colfax | Washington, DC
  • Torin Togut | Attorney, Law Office of Torin D. Togut | Lawrenceville, GA

Join The Arc >

Donate >

Take Action >

  • Sign Up for Email Updates

Address: The Arc of Washington State, 2638 State Avenue NE Olympia, WA 98506

Phone: (360) 357-5596 | Toll Free: (888) 754-8798 | Fax: (360) 357-3279 | Email: info@arcwa.org

Copyright © 2021 by The Arc of Washington State, a 501©3 organization| Terms of Service| Privacy Policy| Accessibility Statement
Scroll to top