Forty years ago if you were developmentally disabled, you had two options, stay home or go to an institution. Individuals with developmental disabilities did not have access to public schools, programs or jobs.
All of that changed when a group of disgruntled parents, fed up with discrimination against their children, started the Northwest Center for the Retarded - the name was eventually shortened to Northwest Center. Armed with a grant from the Boeing Good Neighbor Fund, parents served as citizen activists for their children.
On Friday, Sept. 9, Northwest Center, located on Queen Anne down the street from Rogers Park, celebrated its 40th anniversary. The event was a celebration for all of the progress that has been made for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
It also served as an opportunity to re-dedicate new Northwest Center parents and community members to the ongoing issues of the developmentally disabled.
"This is a life-time situation," said Mary Chapman Mascarella, whose older brother attended the NW Center."When they finish school they are still going to need access to programs that help them be productive in society."
The event was attended by the center's board members, clients and a large number of political figures who, over the years supported the Northwest Center in its fight for the rights of the developmentally disabled.
"There is always a place that becomes the spark for great ideas," said Ron Sims, King County executive and long time supporter of the center, during a short speech at the event. "The Northwest Center was that place."
Former Governor Dan Evans, who signed the Education For All bill in 1971, noted that his only regret was that when it came time to campaign for tax reform in Washington that he didn't hire the advocates associated with the Northwest Center.
Other notable attendees were former Governor Mike Lowry, former speaker of the House, Representative John O'Brian, representatives Helen Sommers and Mary Lou Dickerson, Seattle city council members Nick Licata and David Della and first secretary of Washington, Sid Smith.
Katie Dolan, an honorary founder of Northwest Center, gave an animated keynote address titled, "They Said It Couldn't be Done." The speech highlighted the many triumphs of the center over the past 40 years including: the Education For All bill, first-in-the-world integrated Child Development Program (which provides both pre-school and daycare to children with and without disabilities) and the acquisition of their center's property in 1972 (which was surplus Navy property).
The subplot of the event, as stated by Dolan, was the Medicard For All card - which would provide children and adults, who are unable to fill out forms, access to health services.
"This is an idea whose time has come," finished Dolan.[[In-content Ad]]
