This Executive Order directs State Human Resources to review and recommend any updates to a prior Executive Order to improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, in consultation with the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment.
This bill takes measures to reduce the number of former foster youth with developmental disabilities who are discharged into homelessness or inappropriately placed in hospitals. This includes requiring the Department of Children, Youth and Families to work collaboratively with the Developmental Disabilities Administration and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to plan services for youth with developmental disabilities in advance of their transitions to adulthood. It further requires that priority for Medicaid waivers be given to individuals who exited dependency in the last two years.
This bill eliminates subminimum wage certificates for people with disabilities.
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This bill adds funds to the Parents to Parents Program, where parents of children with disabilities are paired with other parents to better understand how to support and advocate for their children to help them lead independent, successful lives.
Topic(s): Family Engagement
This bill requires each community and technical college to establish a culturally appropriate outreach program to assist potential students from underserved backgrounds - including students with disabilities - in understanding available opportunities and navigating the student aid system. Outreach programs may include partnerships with appropriate community-based organizations. The bill further establishes the legislature's intent that guided pathways (which provide mentorship and advising) be implemented at all community and technical colleges to improve completion rates for students, including those with disabilities.
This bill authorizes transition planning for students with disabilities to start as soon as practicable and appropriate, and requires interagency responsibilities and linkages with transition services to be addressed in a transition plan in a student's IEP. It also requires that meetings to discuss postsecondary goals include parents, students and educators.
This bill requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish interagency agreements with various agencies to foster effective collaboration, promote efficiencies and establish a uniform focus among agencies providing transition services to special education students. It further requires the Education Data Center to monitor outcomes for special education students, including the number of students entering competitive integrated employment or postsecondary education and training programs.
This internship program gives students with disabilities from seven school districts in South King County and Pierce County the opportunity to gain practical work experience in aerospace manufacturing and finishing while earning credit toward their high school diplomas. In addition to receiving one-on-one training, mentoring and personalized instruction, interns learn life skills like punctuality, teamwork, and receiving and carrying out directions.
Operating Entity: Skills Incorporated
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program provides free benefits planning for individuals with developmental disabilities to help them understand the impact of work on their various benefits (including cash, medical, housing, personal care services, and food benefits).
Operating Entity: The Arc of Washington State
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
CAP helps individuals who experience problems when applying for or receiving vocational rehabilitation or independent living services. This includes advising and informing individuals of their rights and providing advocacy services.
Operating Entity: Washington State Client Assistance Program
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
CEP assists people with disabilities who need to work part-time in finding and maintaining work. Participants work in various positions, from janitorial and administrative to quality-assurance and production, and receive in-depth training, job coaching, access to a benefits specialist, and ongoing support.
Operating Entity: Skills Incorporated
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program provides a range of independent living services to people with disabilities at Centers for Independent Living across the state. Services include help connecting to local services, assistance with job searches, local transit skills training, assistive technology help, peer mentoring support, assistance with school-to-career transitions, self-advocacy help, and more.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
This provides various services to individuals with developmental disabilities, including information and referral, complaint resolution, monitoring of services, and more.
Operating Entity: Disability Rights Washington, Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This program supports Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers in 11 western states plus two territories. Services include one-to-one consultations, trainings and webinars, peer-to-peer mentoring, site visits, non-profit management tools, and more.
Operating Entity: PEAK Parent Center
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This one-on-one matching program pairs parents of youth with disabilities to volunteer parents who offer emotional support, information and referrals to community resources, and more.
Operating Entity: The Arc of Washington State
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Connecting Activities, Family Engagement
Pre-ETS assist students with disabilities in identifying career interests and developing skills to be successful in the workplace. This includes five required activities: job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, workplace readiness training, counseling on comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs, and instruction in self-advocacy.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
This program protects individuals with disabilities by empowering them and advocating on their behalf. This includes providing information and referrals, providing training and technical assistance to service providers, and conducting self-advocacy training.
Operating Entity: Disability Rights Washington
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program trains and educates self-advocates throughout the state and supports the goal of independence, productivity, self-determination, and integration into the community.
Operating Entity: Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council
Entity Type: Other
Topic(s): Youth Development & Leadership
Student trainers help peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn how to set up and run their own clubs in the high school setting that will allow them to develop their leadership skills and demonstrate the importance of self-advocacy and self-determination.
Operating Entity: People First of Washington
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Youth Development & Leadership
This program provides customized trainings and technical assistance to Washington State’s Developmental Disabilities Administration, county developmental disability programs, and supported employment agencies to promote employment for Washingtonians who experience developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Operating Entity: Wise
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program provides culturally relevant vocational rehabilitation services to assist Alaska Native and American Indian individuals with disabilities residing on or near reservations in the state to prepare for and engage in gainful employment. Program services are provided under an individualized plan for employment.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program offers a wide range of employment services for individuals with disabilities, including community-based assessments, internships, job placement, and job coaching.
Operating Entity: Skills Incorporated
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program enables eligible individuals with disabilities to save money in a tax-exempt account that may be used for qualified disability expenses while keeping their eligibility for federally-funded, means-tested public benefits. Eligible expenses include education, employment training and support, and assistive technology.
Operating Entity: Washington State Department of Commerce
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This program helps individuals with disabilities who are receiving Social Security Disability benefits make informed choices about work and make a successful transition to self-sufficiency.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
YLF is a six-day, five-night program for high school juniors and seniors with disabilities. Participants cultivate their potential leadership, citizenship, and social skills.
Operating Entity: Washington Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Youth Development & Leadership
This program provides culturally and linguistically diverse families of students ages 14-21 with special needs with the information they need to smoothly and effectively make the transition from high school to adult life. The program produces resources guides and provides educational outreach to families on youth transition. Services are provided in the family's first language, when possible.
Operating Entity: Open Doors for Multicultural Families
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Family Engagement
This guide describes behavioral health impacts and recommendations for some occupations and social roles that could be more heavily affected by the pandemic.
Operating Entity: Washington State Department of Health
Topic(s): Mental Health
This bulletin reminds health care providers and payers that
it is unlawful, under both federal and state law, to ration care on the basis of an individual’s existing or perceived disability, in addition to other socio-demographic characteristics. Such a bulletin helps ensure that students with disabilities receive adequate telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operating Entity: Washington State Department of Health
Topic(s): Telehealth
This webpage provides resources to help people manage mental and emotional well-being affected by the pandemic.
Operating Entity: Washington State Coronavirus Response
Topic(s): Mental Health
This Excel document lists professional opportunities for educators to help them better support students with disabilities during new COVID-19 conditions. Topics include assistive technology, family engagement, IEP development and implementation, inclusionary practices, remote instruction, and secondary transitions. The resource includes information on how to access these professional development opportunities, and what they cost (most are free).
Operating Entity: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Topic(s): Assistive Technology, Distance Learning, Family Engagement, IEP, Transition
This document provides guidance to schools regarding providing services to students with disabilities during COVID-19 closures. It includes guidance on communication with families and completion of IEPs.
Operating Entity: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Topic(s): Family Engagement, IEP
In response to school closures due to COVID-19, OSPI content experts have curated a selection of links to external organizations to support students with disabilities through school closures. These resources include courses, lessons, videos, educational games, physical and outdoor activity suggestions, and a section for supporting students with disabilities. We have also noted resources that include offline activity options, such as downloadable worksheets, lesson plans, and activities.
Operating Entity: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Topic(s): Distance Learning
This document includes multiple case studies (including elementary, behavioral, and secondary transition case studies) to help schools and educators understand how to provide least restrictive environments for students with disabilities during remote learning
Operating Entity: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Topic(s): Distance Learning, IEP
This summary of the full Reopening Washington Schools 2020: Special Education Guidance document was created specifically to help students and their families know what to expect when schools reopen and make informed decisions.
Operating Entity: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Topic(s): Family Engagement