My name is Katie Nash.
I was born and raised in the Yakima Valley. I graduated from Selah High School in 2002.
After graduation, my family moved to the Tri-Cities. My parents have been married for 50 years, and I have one older sister. She passed away in 2013 from Multiple Sclerosis complications. I also have one nephew.
I reside in Kennewick with my husband of 5 years and our service dog, Geri. I met my husband in an organization called People First of Washington, where our shared passion for advocacy ignited. After a few years, I was elected as their board president. While at an advocacy day in Olympia, my husband and I started talking with one of the legislative aids about a bill we wanted to write, based on another advocate who continuously chanted “Nothing about us; without us”, which became the bill's name.
It has taken about 3 years, but the bill finally got to our governor, and he has signed it. This journey has been a testament to the power of advocacy and the importance of our voices being heard. I love advocating for myself and for others. We must have a voice and be heard. Educating others about living as a disabled person, in our society, is my passion. That is why I am a part of the Developmental Disability Council, so people with similar experiences have some input into legislation affecting their lives.
I have been working at Walmart for the past year and a half. I am taking online college classes to earn a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
