Advocacy & Leadership Training

Advocacy is at the core of our mission statement.  At The Arc, we work to promote the rights of and opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities to be fully included in our diverse communities, and teach them to be advocates as well.  We value and support self-determination, independence and the right to choose.  Here are some examples of how we offer this:

Advocating for Change Together (ACT) - A Local Leadership Development Program

Advocating for Change Together (ACT) offers an opportunity to become a better advocate for yourself, a family member, and other people with developmental disabilities. Please see The Arc of The United States website for a complete listing of position statements: 

The purpose of this leadership development program is to:

• educate people about service systems

• train people in advocacy 

• build capacity throughout the state 

• develop new leadership in the disability movement

For Information, Please Contact

Betsy McAlister, Assistant Coordinator King County Parent Coalition for Developmental Disabilities at 425-882-2010 or bmcalister@arcofkingcounty.org

Or Catalina Angel, Family Support 360° program Navigator at 206-619-8459 or cangel@arcofkingcounty.org

King County Partnership Supporting Advocacy (KCPSA)

The KCPSA started in February of 2006 as a regional forum for organizations and people with disabilities to advocate for themselves and/or to influence systems.  The mission of KCPSA is to provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations to network, share resources, and collaborate in assisting advocates with disabilities to develop a voice in King County and deliver that message, and to influence systems.

Meetings are held at The Arc of King County.  

For Information, Please Contact

L.E.A.R.N. (Legislative Education Advocacy Rights Network)

This casual and informal group is for anyone interested in learning about the legislative process and bills under consideration.  Meetings are on Tuesdays during Advocacy Days which runs from January—April.  Topics include:

• Discussions of a particular advocacy skill such as making an office visit or setting up a meeting
• Discussion of previous trip to Olympia
• Review issue of the day at the upcoming Advocacy Day
• Other issues for legislative visits for the current week
• Role playing

For Information, Please Contact

Mary Corpus, Resource Assistant at 206-364-6337 or mcorpus@arcofkingcounty.org