Disability Empowerment Center

10/15/2026

Fun share!

Earlier this year our staff team had the opportunity to meet with disability champions from across the Pacific Northwest at a regional conference for the Centers for Independent Living (we're one of them!)

It was amazing to meet in person to connect and talk about important topics affecting our work like federal threats to independent living, self-care, leadership and community engagement.

This picture shows all the folks who represent Centers for Independent Living across Washington state.

10/14/2026

A reminder that free mental health support is available to kids and teens in King County.

These services are here for you via call or text any time:

- 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for immediate support 24/7 from local crisis counselors

- Teen Link: Teens can talk peer-to-peer with trained teen volunteers by calling or texting 866‑TEENLINK

You are not alone.

10/13/2026

Be prepared for an emergency with this free upcoming webinar from WA State IL Council and CIEP - Coalition on Inclusive Emergency Planning.

Reminder: Emergency Preparedness & Inclusion Training!

Join WASILC on October 20th from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (PT) via Zoom for the kickoff of our Inclusive Emergency Practices training series!

Led by lived-experience training leaders Jim House & Karen Philo-House, this 2-hour interactive webinar is designed specifically for first responders and emergency managers.

What You'll Learn:
• Rapid Identification: Quickly recognize when someone is Deaf or Hard of Hearing in high-stress situations.
• Visual Tactics: Effective ways to communicate life-saving instructions without needing ASL.
• Safe Approaches: Get attention appropriately without causing alarm or escalating tension.
• Breaking Barriers: Practical solutions for evacuation, sheltering, and alert systems.

Date: October 20th

Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PT

Location: Virtual via Zoom

Register today: https://bit.ly/4AcI3Ur

10/13/2026

We recently welcomed state Rep. Steve Bergquist to take a tour of our Seattle office and chat about the importance of Centers for Independent Living.

We talked about the role of Centers for Independent Living and the struggles the disability community is facing, including cuts to Medicaid eligibility, new work requirements and federal budget impacts.

More people are turning to Disability Empowerment Center as an organization that serves the whole person, because access to other resources are becoming more limited.

We love being able to have these important conversations. Want to see our work in action? Let us know!

10/09/2026

A heads up to our participants that we will be closed on Monday, Oct. 12, for Indigenous Peoples Day.

If you are in crisis, please call the 24-hour crisis line: 866-427-4747.

~Disability Empowerment Center staff

10/08/2026

It's voting season! That means that this month's Understanding Ableism webinar is going to dig into civic engagement, voting, advocacy, organizing and public meetings.

October Understanding Ableism: "Civic participation"
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Virtual over zoom. RSVP on our website.

Join us for this free webinar about having a voice in decisions that affect our communities.

10/07/2026

We have fantastic peer group topics for this month!

This is a great time to get involved, meet other people with disabilities and build community. All our peer groups are free to participants.

Here's what's happening:

October Virtual Peer Group: "Adaptive technologies"
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1-2:30 p.m. Virtual over zoom.
This month we'll talk about different adaptive technologies and how they may be able to help us at work, in school or in our personal lives.

October Westside Peer Group: "Let's get crafty"
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m.
Seattle Office
We’ll have fun making beaded bracelets and/or crochet projects.

October EPIC trip: "Woodland Park Zoo"
Friday, Oct. 16, 1-4 p.m.
Join us for a fun EPIC outing to see a huge variety of animals at the zoo in North Seattle. Free entry ticket provided. Meet at the west entrance to the zoo, by the “Penguin” parking lot.

October Eastside Peer Group: "Seasonal depression"
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2-3:30 p.m. Redmond Office
Let's prepare for the cold and dark season by discussing patterns and creating personal support plans.

10/06/2026

Don't forget about this fantastic upcoming Book Talk moderated by our own staffer Lucy Bert.

Next Monday!

Save the date for this upcoming October event!

Our staff member Lucy will be interviewing renowned author Avra Wing at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.

Avra is the author of the new memoir Stride: How I Walked Away from Trauma Toward Healing that tells her story following a sudden, life-altering injury. She is also the author of Angie, which was adapted into a feature film starring Geena Davis and James Gandolfini. She has led writing workshops for people with disabilities since 2009 and is a passionate advocate for creative expression as a path to healing.

Avra Wing in conversation with Lucy Bert
Monday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m.
Third Place Lake Forest Park

Learn more, RSVP or pre-order your copy:
thirdplacebooks.com/event/avra-wing

10/06/2026

Join us for this free movie screening!

"I Got Next" Movie Screening
Saturday, Oct. 10
10:30 a.m.
Majestic Bay Theatre, 2044 NW Market St. in Ballard

A young girl with an intellectual and developmental disability pursues her dream of joining her local basketball team in a sensory-friendly screening of this award-winning short film.

A Q&A session co-hosted by Disability Empowerment Center will follow.

RSVP here:

This will be a sensory-friendly screening with lights partially on, closed captions, lowered sound, and audience members welcome to wiggle and fidget. The film is 17 minutes long and will be followed by a Q+A with the production team and a representative from our generous sponsor, Disability Empower...

10/05/2026

"I think the biggest help was being treated like a person. Looking at me, people normally just don't think anything's wrong with me.

But coming in, I immediately felt like I was being heard, and my concerns were taken seriously."

~Erin, Disability Empowerment Center participant