Community Advocacy Coalition (CAC)

What is the DD Community Advocacy Coalition?

The DD CAC consists of many statewide organizations whose purpose is to provide a unified voice in advocating for community supports and services for people with developmental disabilities.

Many Voices/One Vision
Community Advocacy Coalition Core Values

People with developmental disabilities in Washington have much to contribute to the community, yet need the support of families, advocates and government leadership to live a quality life. More than ever before, our many voices join in unison for one common vision: a community of full participation.Our statewide member organizations of the Community Advocacy Coalition (CAC) represent the interests and goals of more than 100,000 individuals, families, and employees in our state.

We collectively agree to the following actions, which we believe are core to full participation. We ask that these actions be an integral part of all planning and service delivery efforts for individuals with developmental disabilities in Washington State.

1. People with developmental disabilities must be part of all planning, governance, leadership and implementation of the programs that affect them. “Nothing about us without us.” We also expect people to use respectful language putting people first and eliminating harmful, degrading labels.

2. Families with sons and daughters with developmental disabilities often need some support to have equal access to full and rewarding family lives. Having a child or adult with a developmental disability must not force a family into poverty or constant, lifelong worry. More than 10,000 families are waiting for support and should get the services they need.

3. Quality early intervention supports and services must be affordable and accessible for all children with developmental delays and already-identified developmental disabilities to maximize their social, physical, emotional and intellectual development.

4. A free and appropriate public education must be provided in inclusive settings with peers of the same age and include individualized supports to all students with a developmental disability to prepare them for participation in our society.

5. People want real jobs with real pay through real businesses and volunteer opportunities. People with developmental disabilities contribute to our communities and the economy. Support job development and employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.

6. Medicaid and other public funds are vital to people with developmental disabilities. Medicaid reform must protect access to this program, promote inclusion for people in their communities, and allow their control of the funds spent on their behalf. All programs must be provided in a way that supports individuals’ unique needs.

7. People who have chosen to work in this field directly with people with developmental disabilities must be paid a living wage with benefits. They should not have to work two or three jobs to support their families. This is essential work that must be valued and compensated accordingly.

8. People with developmental disabilities need support to live in communities; in affordable houses and in regular neighborhoods, rather than segregated settings. Large congregate settings should not be an option for a living environment for people with developmental disabilities. Public funds must support inclusive communities that promote living, playing, and working together in an integrated society.

Responsibilities of Coalition Members:

• Bring issues to the table for discussion.
• Participate in the discussion of issues.
• Present organization’s position on issues, or general thrust of position.
• Present a description of organization’s activity on issues.
• Build trust with other members through authentic communication.

Responsibilities of the Coalition:

• Provide a forum for discussion of issues.
• Establish a process for making decisions.
• Collect enough information to make wise decisions.
• Set an agenda for discussion, decision, action (strategy), evaluation.
• Encourage member organizations to take action on issues.
• Encourage collaboration among CAC members.
• Become accessible to all community advocacy organizations.
• Take direction from people with developmental disabilities.
• Recognize and value each organization’s efforts.

Activities:

• Seek out and move to rectify practices which discriminate against people with developmental disabilities.
• Promote the rights of people with developmental disabilities to be free from discrimination.
• Demand that the service system can be accountable to the people it is designed to serve.
• Challenge policy and practice which does not offer real choice and real power to people with developmental disabilities.
• Work to change the service system to benefit people with developmental disabilities.
• Share our organized power and resources with self-advocates.
• Implement decisions through decisive action(s) and evaluate results.
• Insist that the service system be efficiently administered with the greatest amount of flexibility for people with developmental disabilities.
• Select strategies which will make changes happen.
• Act against changes in the current service system which would negatively impact people with developmental disabilities.
• Broaden activities to include other advocacy groups outside the DD service system who have similar agendas.

CAC Member Organizations

• Advocates for DD Choices
• Association of County Human Services (ACHS)
• Autism Society of Washington
• Benton/Franklin Parent Coalition
• Clallam/Jefferson Parent Coalition
• Clark County & SW Washington Parent Coalition
• Community Employment Alliance (CEA)
• Community Protection Providers Association (CPPA)
• Community Residential Services Association (CRSA)
• Disability Rights Washington (DRW)
• Family Alliance for Mental Health
• Family Resource, Education and Empowerment for Developmental Disabilities (FREED)
• Grant/Adams/Lincoln Counties Parent Coalition
• Island/Skagit Counties Parent Coalition
• King County Parent Coalition for DD
• Kitsap County Parent Coalition for DD
• Kittitas County Parent Coalition
• Lewis County Parent Coalition
• Navarre & Pollowitz
• NW Autism Center
• Parent to Parent
• Parkview Services
• People First of Washington
• Provail
• Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL)
• Self Advocates of Washington (SAW)
• Service Alternatives Inc.
• Skagit Parent Coalition
• Spokane County Parent Coalition
• Tessera
• The Arc of Grays Harbor
• The Arc of Island/Skagit Counties
• The Arc of King County
• The Arc of Kitsap & Jefferson Counties
• The Arc of Snohomish County
• The Arc of Spokane
• The Arc of Southwest Washington
• The Arc of Tri-Cities
• The Arc of Washington State
• The Arc of Whatcom
• The Arc of Yakima County
• Thurston County Advocates for DD
• Washington Autism Advocacy
• Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE)
• Washington PAVE
• Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC)
• Whatcom County Parent Coalition
• WEECARE Coalition