Celebrating Summer, Disability Rights, and Social Security’s Legacy

I hope you are enjoying the warmer days of July in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! I like to take a walk in a park with a friend and smell the flowers, watch the birds and boats at the waterfront, or work in my P-Patch garden. I appreciate having a break from the rain clouds, and all of these activities make me mindful of what a special place we live in. This month also brings numerous events related to the Fourth of July and other celebrations. I’d like to highlight one in particular.

Although this newsletter usually focuses on articles and issues related to older adults in Seattle and King County, the official focus of the Areas Agencies on Aging and our Advisory Council also includes people with disabilities, some of whom are older adults, some who are not. For this reason, I wanted to recognize the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. The act ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights as those without disabilities, and asserts that they are a vital part of every community. 

To commemorate this historic law, July is celebrated as Disability Pride Month, with events nationwide to encourage people with disabilities to take pride in who they are. The 2025 theme is “We Belong Here, and We’re Here to Stay.” The Arc, the largest national community-based organization advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families, has some great suggestions for celebrating Disability Pride Month, learning its history, and advocating for disability rights and inclusion.

Also in this issue, one of our Advisory Council members, Dr. Joel Domingo, has written an article describing his personal experience with a family member with a disability and what the ADA has meant for them. 

Another win for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is a law passed and signed during the last Washington state legislative session requiring movie chains with five or more theaters to show more open-captioned movies at peak times, such as weekends. The John Waldo Act was passed due to the advocacy of many older adult, disability, and Deaf community groups. 

Lastly, I want to remind you that the 90th anniversary of Social Security is just around the corner! This landmark program has benefited generations of retired workers. We want to lift up its continued importance to older adults and people with disabilities in our community, and we need your help.

Send us an email by July 31 at AgeFriendly@seattle.gov telling us what Social Security has meant to you. It can be as short or as long as you’d like. There will be a variety of opportunities to share these stories publicly, and we will always check with you before doing so.

Thank you for helping to champion and celebrate this vital program! 

Contributor Alex O’Reilly chairs the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services. She welcomes input from readers via email (advisorychair@agewisekingcounty.org).

Mark Your Calendars

Following are upcoming events of interest:

• ADS Advisory Council Meeting: Friday, July 11 (noon–2 p.m.); virtual meeting unless otherwise specified. To receive the meeting link and information, email aginginfo@seattle.gov in advance.
• Civic Coffee: Fraud Prevention: Thursday, July 17 (1 p.m.–2 p.m.) at GenPride, 1521 Broadway suite A, Seattle, WA 98122. Contact agefriendly@seattle.gov for more information.