The Arc Of King County

 Advocating for the rights of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, learn, work and play in the community – improving the quality of life for all of us!

Founded in 1936 by parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), The Arc has served thousands of families over the past eighty years. Today, there are 34,000 individuals with I/DD in King County: below are a few of the ways we are promoting and protecting the rights of people with I/DD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community.

We are driven by the fundamental belief that everyone deserves to write their own life story. For people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD) that means:

Real access to education. Meaningful employment. Quality healthcare. Genuine community connections

Through our Supported Living, Information and Family Support, and Public Policy & Civic Engagement programs we protect, promote, and build communities where we can all thrive as equal, valued, and active members.

We serve individuals through:

-Supported Living: a contracted program funded by the State of Washington, providing support at varying levels of intensity for ~50 adults living in the community of their choosing;

-Information & Family Services: includes our information and referral hotline and services for African American, Latino/Spanish speaking, and Vietnamese families, multicultural outreach, education and training workshops, parent mentoring and support;

-Public Policy & Civic Engagement: led by people with disabilities in the Community Change Champions program, families in the King County Parent and Family Coalition, The Arc’s state-wide advocacy efforts take place largely during the legislative session each winter.