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Telling Your Story


You can make a real impact by sharing your personal stories with lawmakers and community leaders. By clearly describing a challenge and offering a solution, you help others understand what needs to change. You can make a real impact by sharing your personal stories with lawmakers and community leaders. By clearly describing a challenge and offering a solution, you help others understand what needs to change. With practice and support, your voice can lead to better laws, programs, and opportunities for everyone! 


A Brief Overview 

  • Speaking up about your experiences helps others understand your life and why change is needed. Civic engagement includes voting, joining meetings, and telling your story to make a difference. 

  • This article includes steps for planning, writing, and sharing your story. The Telling Your Story with a Purpose section explains how to describe your experience with a specific issue in a way that helps others understand and inspires change, including a video and downloadable checklist. 


See the full article at this link: https://wapave.org/telling-your-story-with-a-purpose/


 
 
 

February/March Parent Meetings

Spend some time with parents supporting each other while learning about resources and services for those with developmental disabilities, autism, and behavioral health.


Feb 19th 6:30-8pm

Dinner Meeting at Roadhouse Grill 101 Umptanum Rd.


Mar 12th 12-1pm

Special Guest Sherry Mashburn from PAVE

Lunch Meeting at El Caporal 201 W. University Way


Mar 19th 6:30-8pm

Dinner Meeting at Roadhouse Grill 101 Umptanum Rd.

 
 
 

Legislative Session Update


This year's Legislative Session is at the half-way point. Bills that are still alive have made it out of their house of origin and are now starting the process over on the other side. There are bills that are very concerning; changing eligibility for DDCS waivers and significantly reducing funding for Birth-Three (ESIT) services.


Bills of Interest 

Infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays could lose access to vital services under proposed legislation being considered by the state legislature.

  • Cuts 17% - or over $30 million - from the Early Supports for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program

  • Delinks funding for 0-3 supports from preschool special education rates – undoing years of advocacy to stabilize these services and ensure parity across programs

  • Rolls back funding to 2008 levels

If ESIT matters to you...

Let your legislators know how you feel. This LINK will take you to the bill’s comment page. Mark your position and leave a note. Or call 1-800-562-6000


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Both houses are working on their proposed budgets. Right now changing the eligibility for Developmental Disabilities Community Services is still on the table. If this goes through, 2500 current DDCS waiver clients will LOSE their waivers. This is unacceptable. If this matters to you, call your legislators and let them know that changing the functional eligibility for DDCS eligibility will hurt people with IDD. Tell them what would happen for your child if they suddenly lost all their waiver services. Legislators need to know the consequences of this proposal.


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HB 1795 Reduces the use of Restraint and Isolation in public schools. This bill is in the Senate. Contact your legislators to get this one approved and over the finish line.



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Check out all the bills of interest at the following link on the Arc of WA website.


Find your legislators at https://leg.wa.gov/legislators/ and sign up for the Arc of WA Action Alerts at https://arcwa.org/advocacy/


 
 
 
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