Our Cause

Our Work Matters

We believe everyone deserves to be treated with equity, to be included and to have choices. Disability Empowerment Center helps community members find and access the resources they need to lead successful and independent lives. 

Every day we empower people across King County to discover solutions to their challenges. We also advocate for policies and programs that make sure people with all types of disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Our staff and volunteers know that inequities persist for disabled people because we have disabilities, too.

Why We Exist:

  • 1 in 4 adults in the United States have a disability (1 in 5 in Washington state)

  • 1 in 6 children ages 3-17 have a diagnosed developmental disability

  • 1 in 7 adults have a disability that affects their mobility like walking or climbing stairs

  • 1 in 10 adults have a disability that affects cognition, like concentration and memory

  • 1 in 15 adults have a disability that makes it difficult to live independently without support and resources

  • 2 in 5 adults age 65+ have a disability

  • 2 in 5 American Indians/Alaska Natives have a disability

  • Nearly 1 in 3 veterans in Washington state have a disability

  • 1 in 3 adults with a disability do not have a regular healthcare provider

*Sources: Centers for Disease Control, United States Census, Cornell University

Our History

Our founders started this organization in the 1970s. They were trailblazers—a group of King County disability rights activists who urged new regulations to ensure equal access for people with disabilities. We’ve been working hard ever since to empower and serve our community members with disabilities and to advocate for change that creates equal rights and opportunities. 

We have helped thousands of people develop the skills and access the resources they need to lead successful and independent lives. And, we continue to be a regional leader in the disability rights movement. In 2022, we changed our name to Disability Empowerment Center to better reflect our work—we were previously known as the Alliance of People with disAbilities.