Spokane’s Path to Inclusion

Dana Fletcher: With everything happening at the federal level right now, 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: We’re concerned, too. While the city primarily serves as a conduit for human services funding, we’ve established robust relationships with nonprofits and partners. Our role is to advocate at the state and federal levels, alert people in the city to what’s happening, and then we can create the appropriate pressure on our policymakers. We are always on the lookout for ways to raise funds through grants or other partnerships to help serve the people.

Dana Fletcher: What partnerships or community collaborations do you think will be the most important in helping Spokane continue to grow as an inclusive city for people with disabilities?

Mayor Lisa Brown: We’re working closely with community centers, including the Northeast, West Central, and MLK centers, as well as organizations such as Mujeres en Acción, Latinos en Spokane, and the Carl Maxey Center. I’ve also brought on a human services liaison, Sara Clements-Samson, to strengthen these connections. And I’ve toured The Arc before - we welcome learning about any of your events we might be able to feature in our publications.

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 Spokane reflects inclusion in day-to-day life for residents?

Mayor Lisa Brown: We have a couple of pieces built in. 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 what's really powerful is having face-to-face interaction where someone advocates for themselves, a family member, or a friend.

Dana Fletcher: Thank you for that. I agree, and 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 supports?

Mayor Lisa Brown: I designated this year the “Year of the Neighborhood.” Spokane has 29 separate neighborhoods, and 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, and 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 while working with an organization called the Center for Women and 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.