A message from WASILC:
The Washington State Independent Living Council (WASILC) is seeking to obtain information on the needs facing individuals with disabilities across the state to ensure the needs of those with intersecting identities from the disability community and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities are represented. Currently, there is little to no data or information on the intersection of disability and race/ethnicity. The Council has formed an ad-hoc committee to address this by engaging community members with intersecting identities. We are embarking on this project to provide a qualitative and quantitative report called a Statewide Community Needs Assessment (SCNA) that will identify the needs of people with disabilities across the state. WASILC and the ad-hoc SCNA committee want to ensure BIPOC voices are centered throughout this endeavor to support and increase the Independent Living Movement’s understanding of the needs experienced by individuals with disabilities with intersectional race/ethnic identities. Information obtained from this Statewide Community Needs assessment will inform the policymakers and WASILC’s further endeavors including the next State Plan for Independent Living. We believe that this report will inform WASILC and other policymakers, which is crucial in dismantling systemic barriers that the entire disability community faces.
WASILC is accomplishing this by
- Convening an ad-hoc committee that has statewide representation and a majority of BIPOC individuals serving on the committee;
- Centering BIPOC voices; and
- Contracting with a consultant who has knowledge ¬and/or lived experience in the disability and BIPOC communities.
Committee Members and Commitment
We are currently seeking new members from the BIPOC community.
- One-year commitment: July 2022 through July 2023
- One or two one-hour meetings/month: will include additional meetings depending on the need
- Engagement and willingness to share your expertise and knowledge
- A stipend for labor can be provided upon request
- Submit a signed application (If you need alternative languages or formats please contact Kim Conner)
To learn more about WASILC, visit our website here (wasilc.org).