Council Grantees

The Council addresses the value of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging through the leadership project with Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF). ODMF provides education, resources and opportunities for people with IDD and their families to advocate on the issues important to them from diverse communities.

Washington State Allies in Advocacy (Allies) is a civil rights nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Allies is governed and staffed by people with I/DD. They advocate for policies and programs in all aspects of society that increase the power of people with DD to make the decisions to live the lives we choose, the ability to access all the resources available to everyone else, the opportunities to build wealth and have an equal say in our local, national and international communities. Allies funding comes from a few sources, and a significant portion of it comes from the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC). Through the financial help DDC provides, Allies is able to support our statewide and community self-advocacy organizations through technical assistance work. Allies, also, holds trainings for the community on various topics to help those with I/DD lead more meaningful lives.   

People with IDD who have mental health challenges often face extreme barriers to receiving appropriate supports and services. The Council is commissioned a report by the National Leadership Consortium on the barriers faced by people with mental health challenges and IDD. The results of this process will be the basis for Council action in the final years of this State Plan.

Self-Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) is a group in Washington State that brings together people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to speak up about important issues. SAIL focuses on making sure people with IDD have their voices heard when decisions are made that affect their lives. The group talks about challenges like finding good housing, getting fair healthcare, having reliable transportation, and accessing quality services. By working together, members of SAIL help create positive changes in laws and policies that lead to better lives and more opportunities. The work of SAIL is mostly around legislative issues, but the information and skills learned are also used in local communities.

The Council contracts with the Arc of Washington to conduct the Advocacy Partnership Project. This project provides information, resources and training to people with IDD and their families to effectively advocate on the issues most important to them.

Informing Families is a resource provided by the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, in collaboration with the Developmental Disabilities Administration and other partners throughout the state. Informing Families provides trusted news and information to individuals and families that empowers them to be active participants in planning and building a network of support and opportunities. This project also includes a website redesign, custom content management, system construction and expanding accessibility for the Informing Families website.