When Cathy Murahashi, Family Engagement Coordinator for the Arc of King County, presented to the OLS Citizenship class as a guest speaker, she asked the students if they had any specific questions for her. Joey Wilson was one student that did. After he shared his experience with her, Cathy asked Joey if she could share his story in the legislative packet the Arc of King County was presenting at the King County Board for Developmental Disabilities Legislative Forum November 20th. Joey was happy to agree to be a part of it.
A life-long resident of the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle, Joey, 26, currently works part-time as a grocery clerk and attends college at OLS Bellevue College. Joey graduated from living in a group home and now has his own apartment. When he graduates with his associates degree he hopes work in building maintenance or the sports industry, but the current income limits under the Apple Healthcare for Workers with Disabilities (AHWD) program makes that a challenge due to the current income cap the program has.
“It holds you back from reaching your full potential,’” says Joey. “[Raising the income limit] would open the door for a lot of people for new jobs and opportunities and allow them to advance their careers. This is a very important issue. I think that something should be done because this law hasn’t been updated in around 10 years or so.”
As part of the course curriculum, Joey also attended the Legislative Forum with his instructor, Herb Johnston, and fellow classmates. “[This event] gives the students an opportunity to advocate for themselves,” says Johnson. OLS Students were able to meet their district representatives face-to-face and discuss important issues they face as King County residents such as transportation issues and the sub-minimum wage for workers with disabilities. As the event had 670 attendees, the students were also able to hear about other issues people in the developmental disability community face and see how these issues are brought to the legislature to provide the students a better understanding of the legislative process.
Joey was fortunate to meet Noel Frame, the representative for the 36th district where he lives, to discuss the need to raise the AHWD annual income limit. Frame was supportive of the idea.
Joey hopes to keep working with Cathy Murahashi to raise awareness of the issue and get the income cap raised. “We need these caps raised so people with disabilities can earn more and contribute more to the community,” says Murahashi. “The law prevents them from working as much as they want to. Employers are hiring more people with disabilities and want to give them more hours but are limited by these laws.”
Joey also has some advice for people facing similar issues: “Never stop self-advocating. Reach out for issues important to you. Follow your dreams; the sky is the limit.”
If you are interested in watching the event you can do so through the TVW website. You can also help raise awareness for this issue by contacting your King County and State Representatives.
Advocacy is a part of the overall OLS Bellevue College program. Each year students are given opportunities to learn how to advocate for themselves and issues that affect them. Each opportunity acts as a stepping stone for learning about advocacy, culminating in the students interviewing for a 200-hour internship in their final quarter of the program. For more information on the OLS Bellevue College program, please visit our website or register for an upcoming Information Session.
The Arc of King County serves all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan: from prenatal diagnosis through end of life care. Their programs include: Information and Family Support for parents, guardians, and siblings; Supported Living Services for adults living in the community; Representative Payee for individuals needing financial management assistance; Homelessness Prevention for families at-risk of losing their housing; and Advocacy for self-advocates, family members, and community allies seeking to make our community more systemically equitable for all people. We promote and protect the human and civil rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, actively supporting their full inclusion so that they can live, learn, work, and play in the community – making the world a better place for us all.
Last Updated January 22, 2019