By Dana Fletcher, Spokane County Parent Coalition Coordinator (SCPC) and Taylor Crisp, Spokane County Parent Coalition Advocate

The Spokane County Parent Coalition, a program of The Arc of Spokane, is committed to elevating the voices, needs, and lived experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

As we enter the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session, our priorities reflect the real and pressing challenges our community faces, from protecting essential services to ensuring safe and equitable educational environments, and strengthening pathways to independence for young adults with disabilities. These priorities are informed by the stories, barriers, and strengths shared by families across Spokane County, and they represent our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every individual receives the necessary supports to thrive in their home, school, workplace, and community.

Key advocacy goals for this session: 

Maintain stability and funding by advocating for no cuts to services  
Access to essential supports is the foundation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to live safely, independently, and meaningfully within their communities. At a time when Medicaid funding and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) face significant uncertainty, lawmakers and stakeholders must understand the critical importance of preserving and stabilizing these services. 

HCBS is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. It enables access to healthcare, supported living, medication management, respite care, life skills development, community engagement, recreation, supported employment, and many other critical supports. These services empower individuals to thrive outside of institutional settings and contribute to their communities as engaged, productive citizens. 

The consequences of reducing or eliminating access to HCBS are not only unsustainable but also have adverse impacts on individuals' lives. Without these supports, individuals are at greater risk of hospitalization, regression, and even homelessness. Moreover, the financial implications for the state would be substantial. Institutional care is significantly more expensive than community-based alternatives, and cutting services now will only deepen the budget deficit over time. It is a false economy that compromises civil rights and increases long-term costs. 

It is crucial to consider the fundamental human and fiscal implications of these decisions. There are countless success stories of individuals who, with proper support, have transitioned into community living and flourished. Protecting HCBS is not just a matter of policy; it is a matter of equality, equity, inclusion, and fiscal responsibility, while also ensuring civil rights. 

End the practice of restraint and isolation in school.s 
In simple language, restraint is when a student is physically immobilized, while isolation is when a child is placed in a small, confined room that is locked. These practices were designed to protect others from imminent danger; however, their occurrences in our schools far outweigh the stated need, and are used disproportionally against our most vulnerable populations, including those with IDD (over 92% of reported incidents), and young children (84% of reported incidents took place in grades K-5). Those experiencing restraint and isolation often carry significant trauma from these events, which have no therapeutic or educational benefits. 

Lowering the age of supported employment services from 21 to 19 

Our current system of supported employment services begins at age 21 for individuals in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities ( I/D). The Arc of Spokane is advocating for lowering the minimum age to receive these services from 21 to 19. This would help young adults begin employment after high school, similar to their peers. The current minimum age of 21 allows for a gap in transition services to occur after individuals graduate from high school. Lowering the minimum age to 19 would enhance dignity, skills, tools, and inclusion earlier in adulthood, which are essential for fostering independence.  

Without supported employment services during this critical transition period, many young adults experience regression in skills, loss of routines, and missed opportunities to build early work experience that could shape lifelong independence. Families and individuals are often left to navigate this gap on their own, resulting in stalled progress and increased reliance on crisis-based services. 

Lowering the minimum age to 19 would enable young adults to maintain momentum as they transition out of school-based services, supporting a smoother and more equitable transition into adulthood. It would expand access to job coaching, career exploration, resume building, and individualized support at a time when youth are most motivated to build independence, confidence, and community inclusion. This policy change is a common-sense investment in our state’s young people, their futures, and their long-term ability to make meaningful contributions to their communities.  

Now is the time to take action! 

Spokane County Parent Coalition is gearing up for the 2026 legislative session! With uncertainties, the IDD community is facing federal issues, budget cuts, and deficits in Washington State. This will directly have a heavy impact on our families and loved ones with disabilities! Do you have a personal experience similar to the issues we are addressing? We would like to hear from you and help you with the tools you need to share your story with your legislators! Storytelling will be the most critical advocacy tool for this session because it provides legislators with a better understanding of the importance of the issues faced by the disability community. Spokane County Parent Coalition can help you get involved, share your story and lived experience, and reach your legislators so your voice can be heard! The Arc of Spokane will also send out action alerts to keep everyone up to date on policies moving through the House and Senate legislatures that require direct attention. Find more information below on how you can be a part of systematic change! 

How you can get involved:  

Join Spokane County Parent Coalition’s Taylor Crisp and Dana Fletcher in advocating for individuals with IDD and their families. Your input and testimonies are crucial to the legislative process, as they inform our representatives about the issues most important to our community. Becoming an advocate is easy with the following steps: 

• Participate in virtual Advocacy Days sessions with advocates from across the state. Learn more at www.arc-spokane.org/advocacydays 

• Join the Inland Northwest Disability Action Bloc, our Facebook group of people with IDD, their families, and allies.  

• Join the Spokane County Parent Coalition to stay up to date on action alerts, opportunities to meet with local representatives, and more! Learn more at www.arc-spokane.org/parent-coalition  

• Want to look up your legislators? To find your Legislative District, use this District Finder tool here! 

Washington State Legislature  

Questions? We’re here for you. 

The Arc of Spokane Advocacy and Family Support Department