Nothing About Us Without Us bill passes Washington State Legislature

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1541&Initiative=false&Year=2023

A major milestone in Civil Rights in America was reached in the Washington State Legislature this month as the Nothing About Us Without Us bill passed with overwhelming support. The three-year movement to design, promote and pass this bill was led by Disability Rights Washington, The Washington State Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment and other disability advocacy groups.

The bill mandates meaningful participation from people with direct lived experience on each statutorily created or statutorily mandated multimember task force, work group, or advisory committee, tasked with examining and reporting to the legislature on policies or issues that directly and  tangibly affect historically underrepresented communities. Although the movement to pass Nothing About Us Without Us began in the Developmental Disabilities community, the bill benefits members of every marginalized group in the State of Washington.

I am so glad that, in my former role as Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) Legislative Workgroup Founding Lead, I was able to facilitate a GCDE official stance on the bill and to testify in multiple hearings on the bill. Once we have the voices of actual marginalized people at the table when government agencies and legislators are formulating policies and programs, better policies and more effective programs will result in a way that reduces discrimination and dramatically enhances Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I also believe that this new legislation, awaiting the Governor's signature, will communicate to state agency leadership that this is the path to follow.

May this movement spread far and wide across the nation and across the globe.