POWER IN THE VOTE

Finding her voice when it came to matters of advocacy wasn’t always easy for Spokane County Parent Coalition Advocate Taylor Crisp. Since she began working at The Arc of Spokane in 2021, Crisp has thrown herself into learning about how policy can impact disability rights and has been adding her lived experiences as a person with a disability to the Advocacy & Family Support (AFS) team to help exact social change.

One of Crisp’s proudest moments as a self-advocate was the success of HB 2008 passing in the state of Washington earlier in 2022. The bill eliminated IQ scores in determining eligibility for DDA programs and services for individuals with IDD. Making this change was crucial to ensure that more people with disabilities qualify for much needed services.

“I’m a self-advocate with autism and I want to be here to represent what self-advocacy means. As a person with a disability, I always considered myself an advocate, but I didn’t always know how to get things done,” Crisp said. “My job at The Arc is to help connect with resources and advocacy groups and find ways to pass bills with the legislature when it comes to IDD that will help overcome obstacles.”

Becoming familiar with the legislative process was a big moment in Crisp’s journey. Armed with knowledge, the power of the disability vote became clear during Advocacy Days as Crisp and the AFS team helped with lobbying efforts for disability rights with the state legislature. The annual push for IDD changes in policy begins again in January, and it’s something that she is already looking forward to taking part in again in 2023.

Making sure that there are self-advocates involved in crafting policies is key in making sure that representation is present when it comes to laws that impact the IDD community. The fight to ensure there is more self-advocates involved in the process is a necessity for Crisp.

“Allies can invite people with IDD to the table on issues that involve the IDD community and understand that our lived experience is of value. There are many definitions of self-advocacy, but to me it means powerfully communicating your views on human rights, such as IDD rights because they often get overlooked. It also means finding out what the issues are, finding strength in your own voice, and finding ways to communicate to others and break down barriers,” Crisp said.

Connecting with other organizations that are made of self-advocates and allies around the state has been a very rewarding experience for her, and Crisp hopes more people will join in efforts to fight for better legislation to benefit people with IDD and their families. Her message to allies and fellow self-advocates is simple. “There is power in the IDD vote,” Crisp said. “We need to keep the advocacy wheel going!”