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Disability Rights Washington Disability Rights Washington is a private non-profit organization that protects the rights of people with disabilities statewide.

Get election nerdy with us. 🗳️This infographic from Washington State Elections shows the path of a ballot. Signatures a...
10/28/2026

Get election nerdy with us. 🗳️

This infographic from Washington State Elections shows the path of a ballot. Signatures are checked, ballots are kept in secure storage, process and counted.

Reminder: Your ballot is due next Tuesday, November 3, by 8 p.m. Use an official drop box, and no stamp is needed.

📍Need to vote in person? Find your nearest center at VoteWA.gov or call your county elections office. Your ballot is processed the same way as one returned by mail or drop box. Let's get out there and vote!

Image description: Infographic from the Washington Secretary of State showing the 12 steps a mail ballot takes, from being sent to voters through to certified election results. The process is show as a winding gray road with icons for each step of the process, with a short caption beside each one.

We’re counting down to The Autistic Self Advocacy Network ’s virtual gala, this Thursday, October 29. What two stories d...
10/27/2026

We’re counting down to The Autistic Self Advocacy Network ’s virtual gala, this Thursday, October 29. What two stories do we have for you?

A psychiatrist once told comedian Nik Narain (he/they) that autistic people can’t be funny. In “Happy Sad Clowns,” Nik writes about why comedy needs to change so more disabled people can take part without burning out. And in “Waiting on Waivers,” Nicole LeBlanc shares what it’s like to apply again and again for home and community based services, as one of over 600,000 people on waiting lists. Two honest reads from the Rooted in Rights blog:

▪️ Happy Sad Clowns: Redefining Success in Comedy Through a Disability Justice Lens by Nik Narain (he/they). *Content Note: Su***de, eating disorder and substance use:
https://rootedinrights.org/happy-sad-clowns-redefining-success-in-comedy-through-a-disability-justice-lens/
▪️ Waiting on Waivers: Nicole by Nicole LeBlanc (she/her):
https://rootedinrights.org/waiting-on-waivers-nicole/



ID 1: A dark blue background with large yellow number four in the top left corner. Below it is the title of Nik Narain’s blog, and the bottom right corner features a black and white image of a microphone stand.

ID 2: A second dark blue background with large yellow number three in the top left corner, and features the title of Nicole LeBlanc’s blog. Below the text are a gray scale image of a ceramic person facing towards a ceramic house with a triangular tree.

It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and we were glad to join Alaska Airlines’ Disability Inclusion Expo...
10/27/2026

It’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and we were glad to join Alaska Airlines’ Disability Inclusion Expo yesterday! ✈️

We shared about our role as Washington’s Protection and Advocacy system, working to protect the rights of people with disabilities. It’s great to see Alaska Airlines give employees a place to learn, get involved, and connect with disability resources.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table to chat.



ID: A sign propped on an easel sharing details of the events on the left, and a balloon decoration with text Disability Inclusion Expo on the right.

Video description: A muted pan showing the many organizations attending the event.

The theme of these next two blogs: Ask us what we need.💬 In “What I Wish People Knew About Sensory Processing Issues,” A...
10/27/2026

The theme of these next two blogs: Ask us what we need.

💬 In “What I Wish People Knew About Sensory Processing Issues,” Alaina Leary (she/her) explains what everyday life can feel like and how others can support her. And in “Leveling the Playing Field for Autistic Parents and Parents with Disabilities,” Kris McElroy (he/they) shares what he’s learned as an autistic parent. Read both on the Rooted in Rights blog:

▪️ What I Wish People Knew About Sensory Processing Issues by Alaina Leary (she/her):
https://rootedinrights.org/what-i-wish-people-knew-about-sensory-processing-issues/

▪️Leveling the Playing Field for Autistic Parents and Parents with Disabilities by Kris McElroy (he/they):
https://rootedinrights.org/leveling-the-playing-field-for-autistic-parents-and-parents-with-disabilities/



ID 1: Dark blue background graphic with a large yellow number six in the top left corner. The text is the title of Alaina Leary’s blog, What I Wish People Knew about Sensory Processing Issues. There’s a black and white photo of a brain in the bottom right corner.

ID 2: Dark blue background graphic with a large yellow number five in the top left corner. The text features the title of Kris McElroy’s blog titled: Leveling the Playing Field for Autistic Parents and Parents with Disabilities. The bottom right corner features a black and white cutout photo of a man with a beard and a young girl in glasses sitting close together, looking down at a handheld game console the girl is holding.

10/26/2026

For , explore the Campaign for Disability Employment’s “What Can YOU Do?” resources. Their videos and other tools can help employers build supportive workplace cultures and start conversations about disability and employment.

Learn more: WhatCanYouDoCampaign.gov

We’re sharing two more blogs you should read to learn about why Rooted in Rights is receiving The Autistic Self Advocac...
10/26/2026

We’re sharing two more blogs you should read to learn about why Rooted in Rights is receiving The Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Harriet McBryde Johnson Award for Nonfiction:

1. The Power of the Autistic Stim by Devin S. Turk (they/he): https://rootedinrights.org/the-power-of-the-autistic-stim/

2. I Am Who I Am: Being an Autistic Latina Woman on Christmas by Isabella Ruffatti (she/her): https://rootedinrights.org/i-am-who-i-am-being-an-autistic-latina-woman-on-christmas/



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ID 1: A dark blue graphic with a large yellow number eight in the top left corner. Below it is white text that reads the title of the blog by Devin S. Turk. The bottom right corner features a black and white cutout photo of a glass of dark soda with ice, a straw, and a splash at the top.

ID 2: A dark blue graphic with a large yellow number seven in the top left corner. Below it is white text that reads the title of the blog by Isabella Ruffatti. The bottom right corner features a black and white cutout photo of a family: a man standing in the back with a woman and three girls in front of him, one of them a small child.

What an incredible screening of “Take Me Home” last night. 💛 The film shows how hard it can be for families to plan for ...
10/25/2026

What an incredible screening of “Take Me Home” last night. 💛

The film shows how hard it can be for families to plan for the future when the system doesn’t make room for it.

Afterward, writer and filmmaker Liz Sargent, The Arc - Washington State Executive Director Stacy Dym and Rep. Jamila Taylor talked about person-centered planning, the many ways to be a caregiver, and how Washington can better support families.

An important message from Liz: The film’s hopeful ending is within reach if policymakers are willing to act.

Go see it at Tasveer through October 29: https://filmcenter.tasveer.org/movie/take-me-home/

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ID 1: Take Me Home film poster which features two Asian women leaning on each other in front of a blue sky with clouds.

ID 2: Three women are holding microphones in front of a movie screen, where Liz Sargent, an Asian woman with short black hair wearing a blouse is on screen. White woman on the left is wearing a green sweater and jeans, white woman with blonde hair in the middle wears a black sweater and jeans, and Black woman on the left side has dark hair and wears a black and white poncho.

📚 Two Rooted in Rights blogs by autistic writers to add to your weekend TBR list:I'm a Virgo: Black Autistic Youth Deser...
10/24/2026

📚 Two Rooted in Rights blogs by autistic writers to add to your weekend TBR list:

I'm a Virgo: Black Autistic Youth Deserve Representation, Too by Cyrée Jarelle Johnson (he/him): https://rootedinrights.org/im-a-virgo-black-autistic-youth-deserve-representation-too/

Stop Blaming Autism for Capitalist and White Supremacist Violence by Elizabeth M.: https://rootedinrights.org/stop-blaming-autism-for-capitalist-and-white-supremacist-violence/



ID 1: A dark blue background with a large yellow number ten in the top left side corner. Below it is white text that reads the title of the blog by Cyrée Jarelle Johnson. Bottom right corner features a black and white cutout photo of a young Black man laying down and holding a remote control toward the camera.

ID 2: A second dark blue background with a large yellow number nine in the top right side corner. The text below it reads the title of the blog by Elizabeth M. The bottom right corner shows a black and white image of a protest sign with the message, No to White Supremacy.

10/24/2026

You won't want to miss this! Join us for the final part of this Disability History Series, Forging a Path: Activism, Self Advocacy & Disability Identity with ChrisTiana ObeySumner and Ira Eidle.

This panel discussion looks at the many ways disabled people have worked to create space for themselves in a world that is often inaccessible and shaped by ableism. They explore how the history of disability activism continues to shape the present and what it can teach us about building a more just future.

Thursday, November 5 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM on Zoom.

Click to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DvVs739sSZGSjnztIM5brw

Professional development hours available upon request.

Self Advocates In Leadership
People First of Washington
Allies in Advocacy

🎉 Big news! Rooted in Rights is receiving the Harriet McBryde Johnson Award for Nonfiction from The Autistic Self Advoca...
10/23/2026

🎉 Big news! Rooted in Rights is receiving the Harriet McBryde Johnson Award for Nonfiction from The Autistic Self Advocacy Network during their annual virtual gala on Thursday, October 29. We’re so honored as we continue to support stories by and for people with disabilities.

To celebrate, we’re sharing 10 Rooted in Rights blogs written by autistic people over the next week.

If you’d like to join us in celebrating, get your ticket to the virtual gala: https://givebutter.com/asan-20th-anniversary-gala-together-we-thrive-osxhmb



ID: Graphic with navy blue background and “Big News!” in bright yellow at the top. In the middle is the Rooted In Rights logo, a leafy teal tree with deep roots and a mirrored “R” on each side of the trunk. Below it, white text says Rooted In Rights is the 2026 recipient of the Harriet McBryde Johnson Award for Nonfiction from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN).

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315 5th Avenue S, Suite 850
Seattle, WA
98104

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