Disability Empowerment Center

10/21/2025

Get to know one of our new staffers, Jennifer!

Some fun facts:
- She has multiple degrees
- She's lived in Eastern Washington and Ohio
- She's an extrovert

Read the full interview on our blog:

Get to know Jennifer Romer, a new Independent Living Specialist at Disability Empowerment Center.

10/17/2025

Cool resource alert!

Disabled Hikers created an accessible hiking guide to five of the most popular parks in King County.

You'll find important info to help you prepare for a fun day in the park, like:
- Obstacles for wheelchairs and walkers
- Location of restrooms
- Parking access
- Trail grade measurements
- Trail surfaces
- Much more!

Find it here:

Autumn Hikes: Free Hiking Guide Empowers Disabled Hikers in Five Washington State Parks in King County. Written by and for the disabled community, Accessible Adventures accounts for the diverse needs of people with disabilities in outdoor recreation that traditional guides often overlook.

10/15/2025

Here's some great info about White Cane Day, which is celebrated annually on October 15.

10/14/2025

Sharing from Public Health - Seattle & King County:

Apply to join the Community Advisory Group for Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Advisory Group members meet with staff monthly and are compensated $57/hour. You'll have the opportunity to help center community perspectives in emergency response planning.

Great applicants are:
- 18+
- Come from a historically underrepresented group (including folks with disabilities)

Apply by Nov. 1: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=mgXluvB210mZlnLf6V1px7Obw124RTxBpr6XRqIgi_tUMzk3UE5INFlQSUROSjEyUkJWUlNQOExUNS4u&route=shorturl

10/10/2025

We will be closed on Monday, Oct. 13, in honor of Indigenous People's Day.

We will reopen on Tuesday. Have a safe weekend!

10/09/2025

Happening this Saturday in downtown Seattle!

IT'S ALMOST HERE: WHITE CANE DAY WALK!!!

Join US: Saturday, Oct 11, 2025 at 10AM for the 4th Annual White Cane Day Walk. Starting at the Space Needle, we’ll walk together to the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library, where speakers, vendors, and activities will celebrate independence, accessibility, and the achievements of the blind community.

RSVP today → https://ow.ly/5XVf50WXPNE

10/09/2025

Want to build community with other people with disabilities?

Join us for one of our upcoming peer groups!

🍁 October Westside Peer Group: Thursday, October 16

🍁 October Eastside Peer Group: Tuesday, October 28

🍁 November North End 50+ Peer Group: Friday, November 7

🍁 November Virtual Peer Group: Wednesday, November 12

🍁 November EPIC Museum of Flight Outing: Friday, November 14

🍁 November Westside Peer Group: Thursday, November 20

Our monthly peer groups are FREE for people ages 14+ with a disability in King County.

Learn more and RSVP: disabilityempowerment.org/events

10/08/2025

The Supreme Court begins a new term this week. Before new cases are argued, take a look back at seven rulings from its last term that carry major consequences for people with disabilities and their families.

Our Legal Advocacy team breaks down what changed, who is impacted, and what it matters: https://bit.ly/4mT5jie

09/29/2025

Getting around should be easy for everyone—let’s talk accessible transit! Join us for a FREE webinar.

Public transit is still falling short for people with disabilities—even decades after the ADA. In this webinar, we’ll explore real-world experiences and discuss solutions to make transit systems more accessible, respectful and responsive to the needs of the disability community.

Panelists include:
- Christine Dodson, Lakewood resident
- Justin Steinberg, Stanford University
- Dean Sydnor, Hopelink
- Mandy Wes, Disability Empowerment Center

Tuesday, October 21
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Virtual via Zoom. RSVP here to receive the link: https://www.disabilityempowerment.org/events

Sign language interpretation and CART will be provided.

09/25/2025

Wow, we had a fantastic discussion at our Understanding Ableism webinar last week!

With help from our panelists, we unpacked key disability legislation, in particular what the ADA, Section 504 and Olmstead mean for people with disabilities.

We looked at the impact that various pieces of legislation and court cases have had on disability rights in the United States.

We record all our webinars, so it's not too late to learn about the history of landmark disability rights legislation and cases, and what they can teach us about protecting the disability community today.

Watch or listen: youtube.com/watch?v=FBA5gR1le3Q

Find our next Understanding Ableism webinars: disabilityempowerment.org/upcoming-events

09/24/2025

Calling All Sustainability Advocates! Want to power up your accessibility skills?

Snag your seat for the Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium's upcoming Deep Dive Day!

Details:
Thursday, October 16 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Town Hall Seattle

Learn practical tools for building organizational buy-in, moving beyond ADA compliance, and authentic community engagement with disability communities.

Register now:

Jump Into Accessibility: Deep Dive Day 2025 Thursday, October 16, 9:00am-4:00pmTown Hall Seattle Register Now Calling All Sustainability AdvocatesJoin SCAC on Thursday, October 16 from 9-4 pm at Town Hall Seattle for the 3rd annual Deep Dive Day conference to power up your accessibility skills! Due....

09/23/2025

Are you passionate about inclusion and accessibility?

🧡 Consider applying to our board of directors!

We have several openings for board members. Great candidates work or reside in King County and either have a disability or have experience with the disability community.

Our Board guides and supports our organization's work with passion and dedication. Board members are community leaders, professionals, students or retirees, many of whom are living with disabilities.

Disability Empowerment Center is a community nonprofit led and run by people with disabilities.

Learn more and apply: disabilityempowerment.org/volunteer