Open Doors for Multicultural Families’ Self-Advocacy Leadership Training (SALT), a leadership program designed by and for culturally and linguistically diverse individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, launched and graduated its 2nd cohort in 2023. The goal of our leadership trainings…
When Anthony got his license, he was so excited to share the news with his Growing Together (GT) community. For Anthony, GT has been a safe and happy place. He feels great sharing his life experiences and listening to other…
Jason displayed remarkable artistic potential in a recent session of Friendship Circle. He shared about his self-portrait, “It makes me feel happy. And it looks like space. This is the sun. The earth is my eyes. The moon is my mouth.…
Our Arabic and Kurdish speaking Family Support Specialist, Qaydar Ali, helped a family new to Washington state settle-in to life here. The mother and daughter, originally from Iraq, were living in Michigan, but decided to move to Washington state because…
Our Family Leaders showed us the power of their voices during a recent trip to Olympia. Family Leaders took time out of their busy schedules to join us for two days to meet with Legislators, and when they spoke, Legislators…
“I am very happy to have your support. My son does enjoy Friendship Circle so much and always looks forward to signing on Zoom. The program helps him open up more, talk more, meet friends, and improve his social skills.…
During the Summer, the outdoors beckons us. This past summer, our Youth Team partnered with Outdoors for All to host a series of outdoor outings as a part of our Friendship Club program. Youth including Alice, pictured here with her…
Expect great things from Mahad Dahir. Mahad ran for Vice President of the Associated Students of Highline College (ASHC) and won! He is not only the first person from the Highline Achieve Program, a program for students with disabilities, to…
Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines) and Open Doors for Multicultural Families staff and Family Leaders discuss the importance of Language Access in helping families communicate with school staff. Orwall highlights the leadership of Open Doors in the conception of…
Our Advocacy and Civic Engagement Program Manager, Moses Perez, is working with Rep. Tina Orwall (33rd LD) to address the mental health crisis in Washington state.
An article in the Seattle Times states, “A new, comprehensive Washington state law that passed this spring will make it easier for students and families facing language barriers to access free, high-quality interpretation and support services.”
Legislative News “It has been a very long journey and, while I am proud and truly happy that we finally reached our goal, I am first and foremost grateful for the community’s invaluable support and encouragement over years of perseverance,…