July is Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride Month was started after the Americans with Disabilities Act or the ADA was passed on July 26th 1990. Every July people with disabilities celebrate who they are! Disability pride events have taken place across the country over the years including parades, art events, moving screenings, and concerts. Disability
Written by Kelly Cotter, Posted by Tim McCue Happy summer everyone! If you love warm weather this weekend will be super exciting for you. This weekend there is going to be a heat wave. This means that temperatures can go as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit. On hot days a lot of people will be staying inside
DD Ombuds issued a 20 page report: “No Way Out: an Introduction to the Community Protection Program (CPP). The report found that the CPP sweeps many young disabled people into highly restrictive settings. People in the CPP are deemed to pose a “risk” to others, and are often denied the ability to make their own
The 2021 legislative session has come to an end. This session was very different because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. People used Zoom to testify in hearings, and to engage with legislators remotely. The DD Ombuds and other advocates educated legislators by emailing, calling, and participating in virtual events. Below are a few bills that the
Written by Kelly Cotter, Posted by Tim McCue Juneteenth is every year on June 19th. This is a very important day. This is the day that all slaves were freed in America. June 19th, 1865 is the day slavery ended in America. Juneteenth is also called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day. Emancipation is another way
Written by Kelly Cotter, Posted my Tim McCue May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. During this month Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are recognized for everything they do for the community. DD Ombuds is celebrating by recognizing Alice Wong, an Asian American disability advocate. Alice Wong is best known for her project,
Written by Kelly Cotter, Posted by Tim McCue American Sign Language or ASL is used a lot by people who have or know someone who has a hearing impairment. Over 250,000 people use American Sign Language. Understanding and using Sign Language means people with and without hearing impairments can have a conversation. This is important.
Written by Kelly Cotter, Posted by Tim McCue Teacher Appreciation Week is from May 3rd to May 7th. During this week people celebrate teachers. Teachers work hard but do not earn a lot of money. Teachers spend a lot of time buying classroom materials and doing work outside of school. There are not enough teachers.
The Office of Developmental Ombuds focuses on improving the lives of persons with developmental disabilities in Washington State. In doing our work, we examine individual and systemic issues. Currently, all across the United States people are discussing systemic racism and police violence towards Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC for short) including BIPOC people
Written by Kelly Cotter, Posted by Tim McCue Happy Spring! Spring officially began on March 20th. But now it finally feels like Spring in Washington. There are many good things to look forward to this spring. This includes: – People getting vaccinated! – Nicer Weather – Flowers blooming – Spending more time outdoors Try to
