Allies 2024-2025 Priorities
State Priorities
1. Educate about and Support Supportive Decision-Making Services We believe people with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be presumed competent and never have all their rights taken from them. Guardianship is used too often to strip all the rights from an individual. There is another way. When people need assistance in a particular area, they should be able to get help through supportive decision-making services. All state workers, organizations, first responders, law and legal officials, and educational professionals need to understand how these services work and let those who they serve know about them. Allies will be working on a full training about supportive decision-making services and other alternatives to guardianship that we will provide to all interested parties.
2. Allies provides technical assistance to self-advocate organizations: We work with and assist Self-Advocates in Leadership, the Shut Them Down Coalition, and People First of Washington in their efforts to pass legislation and make lives better for those with I/DD. We believe their continued efforts help all Washington State Communities support people with I/DD to lead independent lives. We work with these organizations on various committees to provide them with technical assistance so they can achieve their public policy objectives.
3. Working to make sure All Washington State Communities have Safe, accessible, and affordable housing: Allies will work for structure and policy changes so there is less need for congregate settings like Residential Habilitation Centers. We will work with our State DD Network Partners and other community organizations on this priority. Allies want to see accessible, affordable housing in communities that are safe for all residents to get out into. People with disabilities do not deserve to be placed in buildings and communities with higher crimes or an overall lack of safety. Allies want to see various types of accessible and or barrier-free housing. We know some residents might need wheelchair-accessible housing with roll-in showers; others may need tubs with grab bars or accommodations for sensory issues. Apartment complex managers must use person-centered techniques to place people with disabilities in the appropriate apartment type. Allies believe it is also necessary when looking at housing needs, transportation, and the availability of community providers and services must be considered. We strongly believe that those with I/DD live successfully in the community when they receive adequate care services and are placed in appropriate, safe community residential housing environments.
4. Improve personal care services: Allies plans to advocate and support efforts to improve personal care services. Allies will work with Home Care Agencies, Home Health providers, Home Care Providers, State Unions, Disability Organizations, and State Agencies to improve programs and services. Our goal is to make these services person-centered so that each person needing services can have an individualized plan that works for them. In addition, we strive to ensure everyone receiving services lives in a community setting they choose that supports them the best. We also want to encourage our State to hire dedicated providers that want to work in this field. Finally, we want to ensure individuals with disabilities have the knowledge and support to fill out paperwork that will impact their services.
5. Accountability is key: Allies will fight to create more accountability for State and local administration / organizations /businesses that serve people with disabilities. We believe when people with disabilities are being served and helped those that assist them should always follow up on their promises and be accountable if they don’t follow through. In addition, service providers must accommodate and make their services, programs, and meetings accessible for each individual so they can be successful.
Federal Priorities
1. Self-Advocate Network Partner: In 2018, Allies started working officially with the three official Federal Developmental Disability (DD) Network Partners in our State; the State Developmental Disabilities Council, the State Protection and Advocacy Systems, and the State University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Our State self-advocates and our partners believe we (people with intellectual and developmental disabilities) should have an equal place at the advocacy table helping improve the civil rights of people with I/DD). Therefore, allies and our State partners are advocating for a change to the federal DD Act, which would add an official self-advocacy State partner.