This March, we asked partners to share events and activities they hosted in honor of National Disability Awareness Month. We are thrilled to spotlight a few amazing partners who shared their creative community work.
The Arc of Grays Harbor
The Arc of Grays Harbor advocates on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their mission is to advocate for and support a better quality of life for people with disabilities. In advance of National Disability Awareness Month, The Arc of Grays Harbor partnered with a local food pantry and created a series of food preparation videos. The videos feature The Arc of Grays Harbor clients preparing meals with ingredients typically found at food pantries, like canned and packaged goods. For a glance into the creative work of The Arc of Grays Harbor, check out the video series here or visit https://arcgh.org/.
Central Washington Disability Resources
Central Washington Disability Resources (CWDR) is a center for independent living whose mission is to advance “the empowerment, inclusion, and wellness of all persons with disabilities through advocacy, community education, peer mentoring, and skill development so that they may realize independence and full participation in all areas of life.” CWDR embraces an organizational philosophy of being “peers,” not “providers,” with people with disabilities comprising the majority of their staff and board of directors. CWDR is committed to empowering individuals with disabilities by helping them find and secure housing, employment, medical care, and assistive technologies. This National Disability Awareness Month, CWDR hosted three vaccination clinics for their community on March 12, 13, and 23. Learn more about CWDR’s important work at http://www.mycwdr.org.
Clallam Mosaic
Clallam Mosaic is an inclusive community with a mission to empower people with special needs. During National Disability Awareness Month, Clallam Mosaic hosted two events—a drive-thru awareness and fundraising event with festive giveaways followed by a film screening and panel discussion the next weekend. On March 17, Clallam Mosaic partnered with Peninsula College’s Magic of Cinema and Studium Generale to host a screening of the short film “What Was It Like?” The film features eight neurodiverse filmmakers interviewing their parents about their parents’ experiences receiving the news of their diagnosis. This event centered the underrepresented voices of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caretakers. For more information about Clallam Mosaic’s fantastic work, visit https://www.clallammosaic.org/.