WSPC Legislative Priorities 2025

 

Washington State Parent and Family Legislative Priorities

 

Washington Statewide Parent Coalitions collectively agree to prioritize and support families and individuals with IDD to share their needs for access and inclusion in the

   following legislative areas of concern:

 

• Individuals with IDD and their families need dependable, well-trained, well-paid, and culturally-competent providers in all areas of service: personal care, nursing, childcare, medical, mental and behavioral health care, and DDA Home and Community Based Waiver Services. Providers are especially needed in rural or lower-population areas where services are difficult to access or non-existent. Due to the provider workforce crisis and the shortage of nursing care, parents of medically and/or behaviorally complex minor children are often forced out of employment to assume full-time caregiving duties. These parents should be compensated for their caregiving labor.

 

• Individuals with IDD have a right to fully access their community each day with appropriate support. Individuals with high support needs should not be excluded from participating in activities, work, or play because of unmet personal care or behavioral support needs. All people with IDD, both children and adults, deserve to have meaningful, engaging, and flexible opportunities to spend time with disabled and non-disabled peers of their choosing. DDA must invest in developing a greater variety of supportive Day Services.

 

• Individuals with IDD and their families need affordable and accessible housing with appropriate, adequate, and culturally-competent support. Adults with IDD who still reside with aging parent caregivers should be prioritized for DDA residential services of their choosing, such as Supported Living and SOLAs.

 

• Individuals with IDD have a right to physical and emotional safety in schools. More work must be done to eliminate restraint and isolation in public education. Efforts must continue to promote inclusive education and to remove the funding cap on special education so all students with IDD have access to appropriate support and resources. School transition services for individuals over 18 should be further developed to offer additional skills training, earlier job support, and pathways to continued learning post-transition.

 

• Individuals with IDD and their families need a simpler way to apply for, access, and keep track of waiver services. Information and assessments should be provided in the individual’s and family’s chosen language with culturally-competent evaluation tools and resources. DDA information should be explained in plain language and offered in multiple accessible formats.  

 

• Individuals with IDD who need DDA waiver services should be entitled to DDA waiver services.