Disability Rights Washington
Washington's Protection and Advocacy System

Disability Rights Washington is a private non-profit organization that protects the rights of people with disabilities statewide. Our mission is to advance the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities. We work to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights.

Program Updates

Court again holds WA DSHS in contempt, imposes $100M in fines and orders changes to hospital admission policies

July 10, 2023The State of Washington has once again been held in contempt for its decade-long failure to provide timely psychiatric services to people with serious behavioral health disorders and other disabilities who are stuck waiting in jails. Learn more and read the Order here.

Now Hiring: Impact Litigation Attorney

March 16, 2023DRW’s Legal Advocacy Team seeks a litigation attorney with a demonstrated interest in conducting impact litigation and other systemic advocacy to enforce the legal rights of individuals suffering from abuse, neglect, or other human and civil rights violations. This position will require a licensed attorney, or an individual who will soon become a licensed attorney, with the ability to conduct systemic investigations, develop complex advocacy strategies, and represent both classes and individuals. Learn more now.

New report on restraint and isolation

February 9, 2023A new report from DRW and ACLU-WA investigates the use of isolation and restraint in schools across Washington state. Report findings show that restraint and isolation have no educational or therapeutic benefits but have profound disabling effects and result in lifelong harm. Read more here.

Report: Many Faces of Solitary

January 10, 2023Read the latest AVID report on the current state of solitary confinement in Washington State and the call for reform.
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Reports

Rooted in Rights

Office of DD Ombuds

Systemic Litigation

Tools to Help You

Your Feedback

@DRW

Breaking Barriers 2023: a Celebration of Disability Community

March 16, 2023Don't miss Breaking Barriers 2023: a Celebration of Disability Community on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 415 Westlake in Seattle, and virtually streaming. More information here!

Unique Executive Director Opportunity

March 10, 2023We are seeking: An Executive Director who will provide strategic leadership, budgetary and staff oversight, and administrative direction to the overall operations of our organization. We are searching for an applicant who is a fierce disability advocate with lived experience who leads with compassion, justice, accessibility, and strategic foresight. Learn more here!
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#SocialJusticeAllies

Statement on the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

June 27, 2022Governments judge and control disabled bodies and minds daily. Following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade, it is easier for the government to judge and control disabled people than it has been at any other time in the last 49 years. Read more here.

DRW Statement RE Derek Chauvin Verdict

April 23, 2021While Disability Rights Washington celebrates the fact that Derek Chauvin is being held accountable for his murder of George Floyd, we cannot ignore that accountability here does nothing to address the many deaths of Black people by law enforcement that have occurred before and since this murder. This conviction, although an important and necessary example of accountability, is not a systemic solution to the violence and harm against BIPOC communities by law enforcement.
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Our History

History

Photo: Disability Rights Washington’s founding mothers were also the force behind the nation’s first state education for all law.

The Protection and Advocacy System

P&A agencies have the authority to provide legal representation and other advocacy services, under federal laws, to all people with disabilities.