Hundreds gather at The Community Summit to work on creating more equitable and inclusive communities
Contact: Lisa Pemberton, DSHS Office of Communications
Lisa.Pemberton@dshs.wa.gov or (360) 902–7844
There were smiles, laughs and the kind of hugs you get when it’s the first time you’ve seen each other since the pre-pandemic days.
And there were important conversations to have, resources to learn about and partnerships to think about, dream about and create.
The Community Summit returned June 13–15 at the Wenatchee Convention Center in Wenatchee.
About 600 people attended the event in-person, and an additional 135 or so virtually attended the hybrid event. The Community Summit continues a long tradition of conferences that have focused on expanding access to supported employment, supported living and assistive technology for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Self-advocates, families, nonprofit organizations, case workers and others who work in the IDD community usually attend the event.
The Summit is made possible by a Department of Social and Health Services’ Roads to Community Living grant, which is administered by DSHS’ Developmental Disabilities Administration. Other key sponsors include Microsoft, numerous county governments and county-funded programs that provide services for the IDD community and DSHS’ Division for Vocational Rehabilitation.
The Community Summit was offered virtual-only during the past three years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presenter Ivanova Smith, who was recently appointed to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee which provides advice to the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary on issues related to autism, said she was happy attendees were able to meet in-person again.
“It made a huge difference because you can’t have a personal conversation over Zoom,” Smith said.
The event included an opening night ceremony featuring a red carpet, welcome videos by Gov. Jay Inslee and DSHS Secretary Jilma Meneses, and remarks by DSHS Interim Assistant Secretary Dr. Tonik Joseph, who oversees DDA.
“During the past decade, The Community Summit has grown and changed, but the goal has always been the same: To lead you, to connect you, to the services and information you need to live the life you want to live in the community you choose to live in,” Meneses said in her video.
In her keynote speech, Adana Protonentis urged participants to work toward gender and racial justice in their mission for disability justice, because all three are intertwined.
“We can actually have it all,” Protonentis said.
The Summit featured about 25 panel presentations, ranging from services provided by DSHS’ DDA, to accessible and affordable housing, building an equitable provider network for the IDD community, inclusive technologies, adult family homes, self-advocacy and an overview of the Washington State Office of the Developmental Disabilities Ombuds.
There was also a screening of the film “My Disability Roadmap,” more than a dozen exhibitors and an Assistive Technology and Tools Lab with hands-on activities and demonstrations about language translation and access, adaptations for recreation, and other tools that help support individuals with IDD.
The Community Summit also brought participants together for a dessert and networking reception on the opening night, plus an evening of games, dancing and karaoke at Pybus Market the following night.
“I thought it was great,” said presenter Eric Matthes, a board member of People First Washington and Disability Rights Washington. “To me, it’s working in collaboration with others, and it’s just really fun.”
Plans for the 2024 Community Summit will begin later this summer. Watch for updates and a future save-the-date about next year’s event at www.dshs.wa.gov/dda.