Disability Empowerment Center

Inclusion at work! 💙Do you know about the blue envelope program?

Washington’s Blue Envelope Program helps neurodivergent drivers during traffic stops. Keep your registration inside the envelope, hand it to an officer to signal communication needs and follow the built-in tips printed right on the envelope.

You can pick one up for free at any local WA licensing office.

Learn more:

Blue Envelope program | Washington State Department of Licensing The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Learn how you can take action!

The legislative session doesn't begin until January, but the fight over the 2027–2029 budget has already started, and we need your voice now.
State agencies have submitted their budget decision packages to the governor, who will decide in the coming weeks which to include in his budget proposal. One of those proposals would be devastating for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD).
THE PROPOSAL
Beginning in 2029, the state would restrict eligibility for long-term care services, including home and community-based services waivers and personal care. It is framed as a cost-saving measure. In reality, it would strip services from thousands of Washingtonians and cost the state more in the long run.
WHO WOULD LOSE SERVICES
An estimated 2,655 people would no longer qualify. Because many receive more than one service, the impacts overlap:
195 adults and children in Community Residential Services or State Operated Community Residential (SOCR) settings
471 people receiving Personal Care services
874 people on the Individual & Family Services Waiver, living at home with family
1,170 people receiving Supported Employment and/or Community Inclusion services
325 people receiving respite (non-waiver, out-of-home, or in an Adult Family Home) or licensed staff residential services
Still unknown: how many DDA clients in Adult Family Homes would lose services, and how many adults and children would lose Medicaid coverage altogether when they lose their waiver.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Because the new criteria would apply to both DSHS DDA and long-term care services, people living in residential settings would have nowhere else to turn. Many no longer have family able to care for them. Where are they supposed to go?
We know how this ends: people lose their homes, their supports, and their stability. The state then pays more, through emergency rooms, hospitals, jails, and crisis systems, than it ever saved. The human cost is higher still.
Our state has a moral obligation to care for this population. Cutting people from the services that keep them housed and safe is not a budget solution. It is abandonment.
THESE CUTS ARE NOT FINAL. The Governor has not yet released his budget, and the Legislature has not voted. With your help, we can stop them.

You can read more about the proposed cuts here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i6Z-40vaHhOu6FFNHwDvaEazFAKunYB6/view?usp=drive_link

What to do?
TAKE ACTION click here:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-elected-officials-no-changes-to-eligibility?source=direct_link&

The Take Action buttons take you to an alert The Arc of Washington State set up. Enter your information and click on the button that says "start writing." It will send an email from you directly to Governor Ferguson and your legislators. The Arc drafted a letter that tells them:

"Do NOT change eligibility for people with developmental disabilities. People depend on these services to live, work, and participate in their communities. Please reject any decision package that restricts long-term care or DDA eligibility."
You can edit this letter. If you or a family member would be affected, say so. Personal stories are the most powerful tool we have.

We're Hiring: King County Disability Consortium Specialist (AmeriCorps position)

Disability Empowerment Center is looking for our next AmeriCorps/Washington Service Corps member to support the King County Disability Consortium!

In this role, you'll:
- Plan and support monthly Consortium meetings and events
- Recruit members and screen panelists/speakers
- Research topics relevant to the disability community
- Help organize events that raise awareness of ableism
- Support data collection for program evaluation

Schedule: Full-time position
Term: 11/16/2026 – 7/31/2027
Requires: High school diploma/GED, ages 18+

We strongly encourage people with disabilities or professional experience with the disability community to apply — more than half our staff have a disability, allowing us to serve as peers.

Applications are open now with rolling review starting mid-late September.

👉 Apply here: my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=124064

Washington Service Corps

There are a few spots left for this, join us tomorrow!

Disability Empowerment Center is partnering with Centro Cultural Mexicano in Redmond to offer a free, accessible community art workshop for people with disabilities and their care providers.

An art instructor will facilitate the workshop, and no previous art experience is needed. This is an opportunity to get creative, try something new and spend time together in the community.

Community Art Workshop
TOMORROW: Tuesday, Sept. 15
11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Centro Cultural Mexicano
16300 Redmond Way, Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052

The workshop is free, but registration is required: bit.ly/4hMCdlL

We had a chance to be at so many great community events this summer!

Here are some photos from events our staff were at in Seattle and the Eastside.

Caregiving can be rewarding and challenging.

It can shape the lives of both disabled people and the people who support them, but the realities of care are often complicated.

Join us to explore family caregiving, independence, relationships and the systems that shape how people give and receive care in our next Understanding Ableism webinar.

Tuesday, September 15
10:30 a.m. - noon (Pacific Time)

Virtual via Zoom. RSVP here to receive the link: disabilityempowerment.org/events

Sign language interpretation and CART will be provided.

How important is it for disabled characters to be played by disabled actors?

We unpacked this and other questions about how disability is portrayed in popular media in last month's Understanding Ableism webinar.

Read the recap on our website: https://www.disabilityempowerment.org/blog/recap-disability-representation-in-media

Watch the full webinar on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=TQb6lgn6Jzo&t=4s

Nature Art Walk with Sienna- Art of Seeing

Friendly reminder to register to secure your spot!

Join us for a peaceful nature art walk with Sienna, a SUNGuide who frequently explores Discovery Park and knows its trails well. This walk is more than just a stroll—it’s an invitation to slow down, observe, and connect with the natural world through art and presence.

We’ll meet at the Discovery Park Visitor Center, then take a guided walk together, pausing to notice what catches our eyes.

We’ll take moments of silence to observe wildlife, sketch in our sketchbooks, and reflect on how to stay grounded and fully present in nature.

For access requests or questions, please email [email protected].

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 10 AM to 1 PM
Location: Discover Park Visitor Center, Seattle, WA
FREE EVENT at the courtesy of 4Culture & City of Seattle Parks & Recreation
Register by Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to secure your spot.
Free access provided by 4Culture, handwaves!

RSVP link: https://tinyurl.com/919naturewalk

ID: Flyer for “Nature Art Walk with Sienna, a SunGuide @ Discovery Park” with an illustration of a tree-lined park path. Subtitle: “Saturday, Sept 19, 2026, 10am-1pm. In person and FREE!” Logos for Art & Design, 4Culture, Deaf Spotlight, and Seattle Parks & Recreation along with scannable QR code on bottom right.

If you're hoping to connect with other people with disabilities, we have a program just for you!

Our Monthly Peer Groups are FREE for people ages 14+ with a disability in King County. We offer several different locations with a variety of topics and activities.

It's the perfect way to find community with people who can relate to your experiences. Each group is led by a professional staff member with a disability.

Here's what's coming up next:
- Westside Peer Group: Sept. 17 —This month we’ll watch comedy specials of professional comedians with disabilities.
- Eastside Peer Group: Sept. 22 — Feeling overwhelmed? Join us this month to talk about “overwhelm” and how we can recognize it before reaching a crisis phase.
- EPIC trip to the Zoo: Oct. 9 — Join us for a free outing to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
- Virtual Peer Group: Oct. 13 — We'll learn about different adaptive technologies and how they may be able to help us at work, in school or in our personal lives.

Find more details and other events: disabilityempowerment.org/upcoming-events

Happy Friday!

Just a heads up that our office will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, for the Labor Day holiday. We'll be back on Tuesday.

Have a safe long weekend!