Dear Alliance Members

March 2014

Dear Alliance Members,

I am pleased to share with you the Alliance of People with disAbilities (Alliance) 2013 Annual Report. The Board of Directors is in constant awe of the great staff we have assembled, and the great work they do as part of the Alliance. The Board continues to work hard as well, looking for ways to make the Alliance a stronger organization to better serve King County.

We celebrate both the addition of exciting and dynamic people and the departure of others who have made large and significant contributions to the Alliance. We thank our former Executive Director, Lu Walls, and our former Board President, Jeanne Slonecker for their years of service.

We welcome J. Aaron McCullough to the Board, who brings a particular legal expertise regarding the American Disabilities Act to our membership. We are always looking for people to join the Board of Directors, where leaders from around the community may come together to guide Alliance to even greater services and advocacy. Applications will be available at the Annual Meeting and on our website. If you are interested in joining the Board, fill out an application!

We are proud to share our 2013 achievements and look forward to another great year at Alliance in 2014! In April 2014, we were joined by Alliance’s new Executive Director, Kent Mickelson. Kent brings more than 25 years of nonprofit management experience and a decade of service from both the National Council for Independent Living and the California State Independent Living Council to Alliance. Kent’s leadership and expertise will contribute to the ongoing success and growth of Alliance.

We thank all of our members, volunteers and other supporters who make our work possible – helping us to fulfill our mission of People with disabilities Advocating for Equality and Choice.

Sincerely

Steven M. Lewis, Board President

2014 Board

Steven M. Lewis, President

Joe P. King, Vice-President

Toby Willis, Treasurer

J. Aaron McCullough

March 2014

Dear Members and Friends,

I am pleased to invite you to this year’s Annual Meeting. This year we celebrate the coming in of a new era. The staff of Alliance has done an awesome job this year in our work to empower and serve the King County community members living successfully with disAbilities. If you are not already a member, we invite you to join us as a member. Our members realize how important advocacy is in equality for us who live with disAbilities.

My life is richer from my experiences here at Alliance where knowledge, experience and the successes of peers are daily events.

It has been a difficult year, especially with the end of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Fortunately, today we have a dedicated staff and an engaged Board of Directors. Each of these wonderful people believes in our mission, People with disAbilities Advocating for Equality and Choice.

We are always looking for people to join the Board of Directors, where leaders from around the community may come together to guide the Alliance to even greater services and advocacy. Applications are available at the annual meeting today, so if you are interested in joining the Board, fill out an application!

Thank you for celebrating with us.

Sincerely

Lucille Walls, MSW, MSPH
Executive Director

Alliance of People with disAbilities

2013 Facts and Figures

Alliance of People with disAbilties (Alliance) has a main office in Seattle and branch in Bellevue, and is the only Center for Independent Living serving King County. During the 2013 fiscal year (October 1, 2012 – September 30, 2013) 22 staff provided services to more than 5,500 participants. Participants sometimes use more than one service.

2013 Alliance Participants with Significant Disabilities Receiving Direct Services: 304

Alliance Participants Composition by Gender and Age:

Gender Age
Female 56% under 25 15%
Male 44% 25 – 59 68%
60 and older 17%

Alliance Participants by Disability Type:

2013 Alliance Participants Receiving Individual Core Services and/or Additional Services: 5,500

Core Services

Alliance is a Center for Independent Living for King County – which contains approximately 30% of the population of the State of Washington – with 20% of County residents having a visible and/or non-visible disability. There are four core services that a CIL provides: 1. Advocacy both systems and individual, 2. Peer Support, 3. Independent Living Skills Training, and 4. Information and Referral Services.

1. Advocacy

Alliance provides both systems and individual advocacy. In order to more effectively provide these services Alliance is a member of Seattle Human Services Coalition, Eastside Non-Profit Agencies, Directors of Disabilities Organization and the Association of Centers for Independent Living - Washington. Advocating with individuals during 2013 resulted in empowering 235 Seattle and 57 Eastside residents received transportation services. Also, access to healthcare was provided for 437 Seattle and 230 Eastside residents. In addition, Alliance served 257 Seattle and 50 Eastside residents with Assistive technology requests.

2. Information and Referral I&R

Alliance incorporates advocacy into its I&R program. During 2013 our agency received more than 4,800 calls for information at the main office in Seattle and 1,160 calls at the Eastside branch office. In almost 26% of the calls, individuals were called back at a later date to see if the necessary information was provided or additional services were needed.

3. Independent Living Skills Training (IL Plans)

Alliance staff works individually and in groups with consumers on setting IL goals and on learning the skills needed to achieve those goals. Training is customized for each person’s individual needs and learning style. As with other services, in-person or phone interpreters are offered to those who need it. During the 2013 year staff provided one-to-one services for 111 Seattle and 99 Eastside individuals. Meetings can be arranged with participants in their local communities, if they do not have transportation. Alliance strives to keep its office a low-scent environment to increase accessibility for people who have chemical sensitivities. Periodically, group IL skills sessions are also held. Four group training sessions were held this year.

4. Peer Support

Alliance of People with disAbilities is a consumer based non-profit and practices our mission of empowering individuals with disabilities. The majority of our staff, managers and Board have significant disabilities. We work with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, WorkSource and Veteran’s Administration to actively hire employees with disabilities. Since the majority of Alliance’s staff members are people with disabilities, peer support is built into all of the services provided by Alliance. This year Alliance continued our two Facebook pages that complement our peer to peer model. The Alliance Facebook page has over 375 “likes” and has engaged in peer interaction with over 1,500 individuals posting comments and initiating discussions on topics relating to disability. We also have a Facebook page “YouthWithdisAbilitiesRock” with approximately 110 “likes” and had over 150 postings. More than 60 group meetings were held. Topics discussed at meetings included goal-setting, parenting, self-esteem, education, employment, 504s/IEPs, relationships, advocacy, assistive technology, life skills, and more. All sessions provided opportunities for peer interaction and relationship-building. These programs are also available in Spanish and Tagalog.

Additional Programs: Youth Transition Program

This program assists in preparing youth for the transition from high school to adult life. Meetings are held with youth at least once a month and are an opportunity to connect with other youth for peer support to develop new skills and learn about community resources. Group meetings are held in various locations, including Alliance offices, schools, community centers, and libraries. Youth and their families are also encouraged to engage in Independent Living skills training individually with staff.

In 2013, Alliance Youth participated in 20 events including the Youth Leadership Forum sponsored by the Governor’s Committee. These activities provided peer to peer experiences. Youth engaged in job shadowing, tablet training, panel presentations, Bumbershoot, Pridefest, and the Alliance Annual Picnic.

Alliance had four active monthly peer group meetings, two for youth (Seattle and Bellevue), Employment and a Parents with disAbilities support/educational group. Staff worked with 29 youth on assistive technology and software designed to accommodate their specific types of disabilities.

Staff also disseminated Independent Living outreach information to over 25 schools, and our 2013 Annual Meeting was “Assistive Technology in the Classroom”, where speakers discussed the Assistive Technology Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Improvement). Additionally, booths were available for students, parents, educators and the public to try out new technologies with adaptations. Staff also worked with the City of Kirkland, Eastside Refugee & Immigrant Coalition, Boys & Girls Club, YouthCare, SOAR, and the University of Washington, among other organizational partners, to ensure non-duplication and coordination of services.

New Program Initiatives: Digital Toolbox

In 2010 Alliance opened a technology lab with funding from Seattle Technology Matching Funds, Adobe Foundation, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The lab has equipment designed for learning disabilities, mobility, sensory and every type of disability, including mental health. In the iTEC Lab you will find equipment such as adaptive desks, chairs, computers, input devices and much more. It has a tactile copier, a Braille copy machine, an interactive white board, AT software (SA to Go, JAWS), multiple pointing devices, and one handed keyboard. It also has software for over twelve different non-visible disabilities. This lab is available to consumers with disabilities to learn about and be trained on various AT that will increase independence and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

In 2013 Alliance assisted more than 110 (Seattle) and 47 (Eastside) with vocational goals. Additionally, assistance with assistive technology was provided to 214 individuals. This program is continuing to expand with our approval to do Community Rehabilitation Program and the Digital Toolbox. Alliance also worked with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to design and implement the Digital Toolbox. We are also utilizing it with the Veterans Administration.

2013 Income and Expense: Where Did Your Contributions Go?

Expenses / 2012 / 2013
Administration / 11% / 12%
Direct Services / 55% / 56%
Advocacy / 32% / 32%
TOTAL / 100% / 100%

In 2013, Alliance had an expense budget of $786,846. Of these funds less than 12% was used for administration and fund raising. Program expenses were: Seattle programs 35%, Bellevue programs 31%, Youth Services 10%, and fee-based services accounting for the remaining 12%. In addition, volunteers donated more than 5,000 hours of work and services.

Funds Allocation
In addition to federal funds, Alliance received funds from membership and donations (<1%), United Way of King County (4%), city and King county (<1%); State of Washington/DVR (17%), and Fee-based-services (7%).

Income:

Governmental support: $669,104

Contributions: $4,659

Program revenue: $23,229

Interest income: $99

In-Kind Contributions: $2,639

Other: $62,911

Miscellaneous (Loss) Income: ($1,515)

Loss on Disposal of Equipment: ($3,614)

Total revenues and support: $786,846

Supporting Agencies, Businesses Foundations

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds

Bill Wright Technology Matching Funds

City of Kenmore, WA

City of Kirkland, WA

City of Renton, WA
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

King County Employee Giving Program

Rehabilitation Services Administration

Techsoup

United Way of King County
Veteran’s Administration

Alliance Board, Staff, Volunteers, and Students:

Board Members:

Molly Boll

Joseph P. King

Steven M. Lewis

J. Aaron McCullough

Jeanne M. Slonecker

Phyllis Varjian

Toby Willis

Kathy Yackey

Staff:

Tanya Atkinson

Raymona Baldwin

Robert Blumenfeld

Matthew Castillo-Santos

Claudia Cruz

Denika Dallimore

Charmaine Dancy

Lonnie Davis

Tom Davis

Ashica DeMira

Mary Ann DeFrees

Charity Drummond

Hope Drummond

Husnija Grebovic

Laurel Halvorson

Elizabeth Kennedy

Tom Lane

Staff (cont.)

Kent Mickelson

Brandon Mullen

Bhelle Ollero

Erik Parkin

Jerry Reed

Rosetta Trujillo

Lucille Walls

Volunteers:

Kamangiah Ahmach

Andrew Arana

Madelyn Araniega

Marjorie Augustus

Alice Baladad

Sean Brannen

Alexis De La Cruz

Nighisty Ghebremeskel

Larry Messer

Tyra Ollero

Fozia Rashid

Dan Shaughnessy

Leslie Waters

Students:

Ashley Corrie

Laura Ng

Seattle Office: 1120 E Terrace Street, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98122

Seattle Voice: (206) 545-7055

Bellevue Office: 1150 140th Ave NE, Suite 101, Bellevue, WA 98005

Bellevue Voice: (425) 558-0993

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