What to expect at Advocacy Day
Advocacy Day begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays during the legislative session. We start with an hour and a half briefing on current issues and end with an afternoon of advocacy. While we feature a highlighted topic each week, the morning briefing will also cover late breaking news on budget items and bills of interest relating to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. We meet at The United Churches (Across the street from the Capitol), 110 11th Ave SE, Olympia, 98501. If you need a guide for the day, please let us know by calling 1-888-754-8798, ext. 5, or e-mail bean@arcwa.org
January 16th—Legislative Briefing/Reception
Our theme this year is “Incredible Advocacy” as we encourage legislators to champion bills/budget items that are incredibly important to people with developmental disabilities. A new “Incredible” button will be distributed each week. Join us at 2 pm at The United Churches for a briefing of the current issues of concern. Go have dinner, then attend the Legislative Reception which will be held in the Columbia Room from 5:30 - 7:30 pm.
February 6th—Incredible Jobs
Having a job means that individuals with DD can be incredibly productive citizens, contributing to our economy by paying taxes, while also providing valuable services. Being gainfully employed provides self-esteem and helps individuals work toward being self-supporting. Join some incredible self-advocates, families and employment service providers from Community Employment Alliance (CEA) as we ensure that supports are available to all those who need them. An incredibly important rally will be held at the capital at noon.
February 13th - Incredible Self-Advocates
Incredible self-advocates will lead the way on issues for the 2019 session that help them live in their community as independently as possible and show their pride in being valued members of society. They have three incredibly important priorities they are pursuing this session:
1) closing state institutions and building community services; 2) having real jobs with real pay (not sub-minimum wages); and 3) providing supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship.
February 20th - Incredible Providers
Some incredible self-advocates, supported living providers as well as family members join to let legislators know how incredibly important living in the community is and ask them to ensure that our incredible providers of these supports are paid a fair living wage. We will meet at United Churches at 10 am, and then we will head over to the capitol steps for an incredible rally with Community Residential Services Association (CRSA).
February 27th—Incredible Home Life
Finding affordable, accessible housing in our local communities is incredibly difficult. Some individuals with DD are having to live in our incredibly old state DD institutions or continue living with their families simply because of a lack of housing. The WA Low Income Housing Alliance will be our partner to advocate for more funding, particularly in the Housing Trust Fund which has an incredible “DD Set-aside” account, and to look at more creative ways to have an impact on this crisis. Help legislators understand the incredible need for community housing for people with DD.
March 6th—Incredible Awareness
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public proclamation that the month of March should be recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to increase public awareness of the needs and incredible potential of Americans with developmental disabilities. Governor Inslee, along with our Legislature also recognize the incredible value of children and adults with DD and will present our state’s Proclamation during Advocacy Day. Also, join us and help us share our “Just Like Me!” campaign.
March 13th—Incredible Learning
Learning is a lifelong process. Early Intervention services help babies and toddlers who struggle to meet developmental milestones. Public education has special funding for children with developmental disabilities that need extra supports to learn. Transition from high school to the adult world of working involves incredible coordination from multiple state agencies and funding to
help with supported employment or to help individuals with DD attend higher education or technical schools.
March 20th—Incredible Need for $
Creating a biennial budget is the one thing legislators are required to do during this legislative session. With many new legislators, it is important that you educate yours about the needs of people with DD. This year, about half of our Residential Habilitation Centers (our state’s DD institutions) have been found to not meet federal requirements for health and safety. The Governor’s
answer is to pour money into these incredibly outdated and dangerous places when the funding should go to community supports. Learn what services and supports are proposed for cuts or increases and what you can do to help.
March 27th—Incredible Activists!
This legislative session we have a number of protection issues being raised. Most importantly is building community supports to move people out of institutions and let them live near family and friends in the community. Other issues include providing disability information to the incredible Smart 911 database, supported decision-making, protection from institutionalization due
to the incredible lack of sufficient resources in the community, guardianship and more.
April 3rd—Incredible Autistics!
Almost 50 years have passed since the first National Autism Awareness month in April of 1970. With the incredible prevalence rate of children with autism increasing from 1 in every 2000 children in the 1970's to 1 in every 68 children today, we celebrate not just Awareness, but also Acceptance and Appreciation of the autistic community and those who support them. The Governor and the
Legislature recognize the incredible value of autistic individuals to our communities. Join us for an Autism Rally at noon, more details to come!
April 10th—Incredible Messaging
As the regular session is coming to a close, our incredible legislators are spending most of their time on the House or Senate floor voting on bills. You still have an incredibly important job to do! Many bills never get a chance to be voted on, not because they aren’t important, but because there is not
enough time to vote on all of them. You can help move your bills up in importance by sending notes in to your legislator while they are on the floor.
How was Your Experience?
We want to know how Advocacy Day was for YOU! At each Advocacy Day event you will be able to share your experience with us. Our evaluation form is short and easy to fill out, just circle the smiley face that best describes your experiences. You can fill it out and turn it in at the event. You can also respond at home afterwards online by going to:
http://arcwa.org/index.php/takeaction/washingtonstate/advocacy_day
Click on Advocacy Day Feedback Form
