STORIES FROM THE ARC
The work The Arc of Spokane does is not about us, but rather the people we serve. We are inspired by the individuals, families, and programs featured below, and we hope you will be too.
Breakfast With Santa 2025
On December 13, The Arc of Spokane hosted Breakfast with Santa, providing a relaxed and accessible way for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to enjoy a holiday tradition. Read more about how this event prioritized inclusion and helped our community connect over a meal.
Seeing Through My Child’s Eyes
Advocating for a child with a disability often involves a shift from speaking for them to amplifying their own voice. This means balancing parental instincts during school meetings with the goal of empowering neurodivergent youth to express their own needs. Rather than trying to "fix" the individual, the focus is placed on reducing environmental barriers and ensuring community spaces change to meet people with understanding and inclusion.
Image from Spokane Public Schools
Building Inclusive Schools
As Washington State considers new legislation regarding restraint and isolation, Spokane Public Schools has already spent several years transitioning away from these practices. By removing isolation rooms and prioritizing verbal de-escalation and co-regulation, the district is moving toward a model rooted in human connection and inclusion. This shift focuses on transforming school culture and fostering stronger relationships between staff and families to ensure that all students feel safe and supported.
Advocacy Days 2025
Advocacy Days are your chance to make an impact during the 2026 Legislative Session. Join virtual sessions, share your story, and help shape policies that matter to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn how to get involved.
Mayor Lisa Brown Champions Inclusivity In Spokane
Mayor Lisa Brown sat down with The Arc of Spokane’s Dana Fletcher to talk about disability inclusion, neighborhood advocacy, and how families can stay engaged during uncertain times. From federal funding concerns to grassroots leadership, this conversation highlights the power of community partnerships and the importance of using your voice—right where you are.
Avista’s GSE Team Advances Inclusion and Sustainability
At Avista’s GSE department, recycling isn’t just about materials—it’s about meaningful work, inclusion, and purpose. Discover how employees like James Cooper are powering sustainability and dignity through decades of dedication.
Feeding Communities
Millions of people in the U.S. rely on SNAP and WIC to access basic groceries. Without federal support, families, people with disabilities, and older adults face hunger and hardship. These programs are lifelines — and protecting them is a matter of dignity, equity, and survival.
Spokane’s Parent Coalition Builds Momentum
The Parent Coalition at The Arc of Spokane is growing, expanding, and building momentum. More families are reaching out, more conversations are happening, and the energy around advocacy continues to rise. With rising concerns about accessibility and access to services…
Advocating Through Loss: Honoring Voices, Carrying Purpose
They say time is a thief. It slips past us quietly, leaving no trace—just a blur of routines, obligations, and distractions. In today’s world, we race from task to task, glued to our screens, consumed by headlines that echo tragedy after tragedy. We rinse, we repeat. And before we know it, the day is gone…
Building Community With Collaboration & Creativity
On September 24, The Arc of Spokane’s Community Center buzzed with creativity and connection as first-year Whitworth University students joined Community Center members for Whitworth’s Community Building Day…
The Arc of Spokane Clients Shine with USL Spokane Impact
Four clients of The Arc make the inaugural roster on Spokane’s first soccer team for individuals with IDD.
Portrait of an Artist: Emma Yefimov
Learn more about artist and self-advocate Emma Yefimov and her paintings.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.
Parent to Parent Coordinator Tami Leitz shares her wishes for a truly inclusive community for her daughter Claire. "There is not a separate world for people with disabilities and their families," she writes. | Spring, The Voice 2024
On the Job: Sarah Clemons
Supported Employment client Sarah Clemons shares what it’s like to be more independent and work at Wendy’s | Spring, The Voice 2024
Let’s Move
Through engaging in an array of activities to stay active within Spokane, Brenda Jones, a member of The Arc of Spokane’s Community Engagement program, has not only found a way to bring joy to her own life but also to serve as an inspiration to others around her. | Winter, The Voice 2024
Heartfelt Highlight
Learn more about the volunteers that contribute their time and energy to serving our clients and programs at The Arc of Spokane.
The Heart of Advocacy
Advocacy means taking action to create change. Make your voice heard in easy, quick, and meaningful ways during Advocacy Days! | Winter, The Voice 2023
Thrifted Treasures
The methods by which items wind up on the sales racks at the Thrift Store may be mysterious to the shopper who loves the Saturday tag sale, but to the production team, it’s an involved process. | Fall, The Voice 2022
Power in the Vote
Finding her voice when it came to matters of advocacy wasn’t always easy for Spokane County Parent Coalition Advocate Taylor Crisp. Crisp has thrown herself into learning about how policy can impact disability rights and has been adding her lived experiences as a person with a disability to the Advocacy & Family Support (AFS) team to help exact social change. | Fall, The Voice 2022
Downtown Sights
Community Inclusion volunteer Jeremy Swecker shares his love of helping others through Meals on Wheels. | Summer, The Voice 2022