Dana Fletcher: I want to thank you again for finding the time to meet with me today. I’m with the Arc of Spokane, and I run the Parent Coalition, and I’m also the parent to a five-year-old son with Autism, so the work I do is very close to my heart.

Mayor Lisa Brown: Yes.

Dana Fletcher: I aim to represent parents and families, amplify their voices, and ensure policymakers and legislators are made aware of any concerns they have.

Mayor Lisa Brown: Great, I’m familiar with your work, and I’ve known The Arc for a long time.

Dana Fletcher: Okay, jumping right into my first question, which addresses the elephant in the room with everything going on in the news right now, and with everything happening at the federal level, many families are worried about service interruptions. What would you like Spokane residents to know about how the city is preparing to support vulnerable families during these uncertain times?

Mayor Lisa Brown: Well, we are also very concerned about the potential for disruption to services caused by the federal government shutdown. Additionally, the uncertain economic climate is causing deficits and budget cuts. Particularly worried about healthcare premiums, so the city...well, we are mostly the recipient that passes through funds when it comes to many human services; however, we have been developing a robust set of relationships with nonprofits. The central role we can play is first to advocate to the federal and state governments to keep the services going forward. Still, second, we can help alert people in the city to what’s happening, so we can create the appropriate pressure on our policymakers. We are also always on the lookout for ways to raise funds through grants or other partnerships to help serve people.

Dana Fletcher: Many families of children and adults with disabilities tell me they struggle to navigate complex systems, like DDA, Medicaid, and local services. From your perspective, what are some ways the city can make those systems more accessible and family-friendly?

Mayor Lisa Brown: Well the city does not have much control over much of the systems, however when it does come to any connection to the town, I would encourage anyone who has questions even if they’re not 100% sure if it’s a city issue, to go ahead and utilize our 311 system, which is a phone call, or enter your question online, those individuals are very skilled at getting people to the right place for where their question can get answered.

Dana Fletcher: Wonderful, The Arc of Spokane has a similar resource hotline where people can call in too, about I/DD issues and accessing services through that. It’s good to know that the city is involved in the pipeline of people seeking help and hearing their stories. It naturally flows into my next question: what partnerships or community collaborations do you think will be the

What is the most critical factor in helping Spokane continue to grow as an inclusive city for people with disabilities?

Mayor Lisa Brown: We have a set of community centers, that are geographically located right now, the northeast center, and west central, and the MLK center, but we also have these emerging community nonprofits that serve specific populations, that would be organizations like Mujeres in Action, Latinos en Spokane, or the Carl Maxey Center, and so the city, I’ve brought on essentially an individual to act as a liaison for all different types of human services, her name is Sara Clements-Samson, and we are building out our connections in relation to all those organizations. And I believe I have toured The Arc on more than one occasion over the years. Additionally, when I was in the legislature, we welcomed learning about any of your events that we might be able to feature in our publications. Erin is the director of our communications.

Dana Fletcher: That’s wonderful - an event I’m looking to start after the new year is an “open mic night” that serves as a public forum where parents, advocates, and individuals can voice their concerns in an environment that’s supportive and willing to take action on those things.

Mayor Lisa Brown: Great. Let us know about that.

Dana Fletcher: I absolutely will. As the city works toward greater inclusion, how do you and your team track progress or hold systems accountable to ensure that Spokane reflects in day-to-day life for residents?

Mayor Lisa Brown: We have a couple of built-in pieces. One is our Office of Civil Rights, Equity, and Inclusion, and the director of that is Jerrall Haynes. He is working on both language access programming and connecting with various communities. We also have a human rights commission, and that’s another place where I help appoint people to hear concerns about access issues, violations of rights, or other issues we weren’t aware of - it becomes a forum for bringing those forward.

Dana Fletcher: For families who are feeling discouraged or uncertain about the future, what message would you want to share with them about staying hopeful and engaged in their community?

Mayor Lisa Brown: I do think that advocacy and standing up and using your voice is empowering, and it inspires others to do the same thing. So, parent advocates or self-advocacy is really kind of the front wave, especially for the community with I/DD. Self-advocates have really inspired me; they change the minds of policymakers, and I think it also creates a more compassionate community overall when those voices are out there.

Dana Fletcher: I agree, it sounds like the impact of personal stories creates a much greater effect than just statistics.

Mayor Lisa Brown: Absolutely. It doesn’t hurt to talk about the dollars and cents; if we invest here, we save money there. Those things are essential, but really, having that face-to-face interaction where someone advocates for themselves or a family member or friend is truly powerful.

Dana Fletcher: Thank you for that. I agree. Finally, are there any new city initiatives, proposals, or goals on the horizon that you’re excited about, especially ones that could impact disability inclusion or social support?

Mayor Lisa Brown: This might seem a bit out of the field, but I don’t think it is. I designated this year the “Year of the Neighborhood” because we have 29 separate neighborhoods. I would encourage people with disabilities also to see themselves as part of their neighborhood and engage with their neighborhood council. It’s a place where you can practice advocacy and also become a leader for your neighborhood. And if there are accessibility issues in your neighborhood, the neighborhood council can help send those recommendations for actual funding of Community Development Block Grant funds. So it’s a really positive experience to engage with the neighborhoods.

Dana Fletcher: I know your campaign had a strong focus on grassroots and neighborhood engagement, as well as word of mouth. It sounds like the best way for people to congregate and be a voice for change is right where we are.

Mayor Lisa Brown: Yes! There’s a saying I encountered when I was working with an organization called the “Center for Women Democracy” that’s “Lead Where You Land.” I think that’s very appropriate in this case.

Dana Fletcher: I like that, “Lead where you land.”

Mayor Lisa Brown: I would also like to invite people to attend the City Council meeting on Monday nights, where there’s an open forum where you can discuss any issues that may impact city policy. And that would be a place for advocates and parents to come as well.