About Us

Our History

Founded in 1936, The Arc of King County is the oldest non-profit organization serving children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in the Greater Puget Sound area, and is one of the oldest such organizations in the United States.  It is an affiliated chapter of The Arc of Washington and The Arc of the United States. 

Who We Help

We work with children and adults with all forms of developmental disabilities and their families.  Developmental disabilities are conditions that occur prior to the age of 18 and are expected to last for life, and include Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and intellectual disabilities.

About Our Services

The Arc of King County provides direct, hands-on support to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.  We assist people through:

Outreach - By working to increase the knowledge and competence of the community at large in serving and interacting with people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Advocacy - By ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities and the people who support them receive the information they need to access and influence community resources and services.

Direct Support - By facilitating the choices, inclusion and skills of people with developmental disabilities to live in our communities.

Most of our services are provided free of charge. These include:

• Outreach to senior parents caring for their adult children with disabilities
• Peer support for parents through support groups, advocacy activities, and e-mail lists
• Peer support and leadership training for self-advocacy
• Parent classes on numerous topics
• Direct support for adults living in their own homes
• Outreach through our Information and Referral phone line and on-line Resource Guide
• We serve thousands of individuals annually, including people with disabilities, family members, advocates, other professionals, school districts, and other organizations.
• We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, with funding from local, city, and state contracts, and private contributions.
• We are a local chapter of The Arc of the United States and The Arc of Washington.

The Arc of King County provides equal opportunity in all aspects of its services, activities, governance and employment free from discrimination and without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital, parental or domestic partner status, Vietnam-Era Veteran or Disabled-Veteran status, the use of service animals or trained guide dogs, or medical condition -- including communicable diseases and HIV/AIDS, and the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or any basis prohibited by law.