1st Choice PAS

08/23/2026

Have you moved past your imposter syndrome and considered filing a disability claim but don’t know what to do? Have you ever blindly turned to a VSO who filed your claim for you and your subsequent decision letter service-connection denial made you feel like a fool? Do you know a newly widowed spouse of a Disabled Veteran who passed away? And you want to be the hero who can confidently guide them towards the Dependent Indemnity Compensation (DIC) they knew nothing about?
You could change that survivor’s life through... (read more here) https://dacnw.org/organization_news/resources-to-better-understand-the-vba/

Have you moved past your imposter syndrome and considered filing a disability claim but don’t know what to do? Have you ever blindly turned to a VSO who filed your claim for you and your subsequent decision letter service-connection denial made you feel like a fool? Do you know a newly widowed spo...

08/19/2026

What to expect when you get the call to evacuate in an emergency? The recent fires are a reminder that evacuation orders can come with little warning. For people with disabilities “grab and go” isn’t that simple. There are service animals, medical equipment, and important prescriptions. You need a plan before the smoke rolls in.
You can read more here: https://dacnw.org/organization_news/news-from-self-directed-pa-services-4/

What to expect when you get the call to evacuate in an emergency? The recent fires are a reminder that evacuation orders can come with little warning. For people with disabilities “grab and go” isn’t that simple. There are...

08/11/2026

Did U Know? Over one billion people worldwide - about 15% of the global
population - live with some form of disability, making it the largest
minority group in the world.

08/06/2026

Our August Interstate Connections Newsletter is out! Full of information about back to school, emergency evacuation planning, finding an online pharmacy and more!

August Interstate Connections Newsletter August 6, 2026 General Disability Etiquette – Hearing Impairments Get their attention before speaking Do: Gently tap the person on the shoulder, wave, or use another method to get their attention before speaking. Don’t: Start speaking to someone without f...

07/20/2026

Our NW ADA Center Idaho Question of the Month is for medical practices who must have an accessible exam table and room by July 8th if they receive funds from Medicare/Medicaid. Read more here:
https://dacnw.org/organization_news/nw-ada-center-idaho-question-of-the-month/

07/17/2026

Our 4th annual Bridging Communities event celebrating the 36th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act will be held on July 25th, 11am-3pm in Riverfront Park, Spokane.

“Disability is present in every culture and every economic background,” said Mark Leeper, Executive Director of the Disability Action Center NW. “We want to celebrate the many cultures in our area and how they intersect with disability.”

The event kicks off with an ADA Proclamation and speech from Mayor Lisa Brown.

Multi-cultural music presentations by River Street Latin Band and dance by local Native American tribes will be featured on the stage. There will also be the presentation of the Tom McTevia Award will be to Sara Bryant from Spokane’s Therapeutic Recreation Services. This award is given each year to community organizations for removing barriers for people with disabilities in memory of community activist and outdoor recreation aficionado, Tom McTevia.

FREE food and t-shirts will be available while supplies last. A resource fair will have over 20 vendors, all located on the orange bridge. There will be aKid’s Zone with games, crafts, face painting and sidewalk chalk.

NEW this year will be the Wheelchair Obstacle Course. This course was designed by mechanical engineering students from Washington State University. It allows visitors to experience common barriers found in a community like opening a door on a slope, objects in the path of travel, overhanging shrubs, pot holes and cracks in sidewalks.

Free raffle prizes, and ADA Trivia games round out the event.

“People with disabilities are a part of human diversity. It is also the largest minority group that everyone will join, if they live long enough,” said Leeper. “We need to band together to protect our rights to live in our communities and not in institutions.”

07/16/2026

QUOTES TO MAKE YOU THINK
“Let’s stop “tolerating” or “accepting” difference, as if we’re so much better for not being different in the first place. Instead, let’s celebrate difference, because in this world it takes a lot of guts to be different. “

~ Kate Bornstein

07/15/2026

Did U Know?
For most of U.S. history, disabled people were institutionalized, excluded from public life, and had no legal recourse for discrimination? “Ugly Laws” in many cities actually made it illegal for people with visible disabilities to appear in public – some of those laws stayed on the books until the 1970’s!

07/08/2026

We are celebrating the 36th anniversary of the ADA! Check out our July Interstate Connections Newsletter filled with summer celebration ideas and ways to stay safe in the heat. Find the disability icon and be entered to win a Starbucks gift card. 🇺🇸👍🏽❤️
You can read it here:https://dacnw.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/July-Interstate-Connections-Newsletter.pdf

06/27/2026

Today is National PTSD Awareness Day! Established by the U.S. Congress in 2010, the date was selected in honor of Staff Sergeant Joe Biel, a National Guard soldier who struggled with PTSD after two tours in Iraq and died by su***de in 2007. Let's eliminate mental health stigmas, and connect trauma survivors to effective treatment options including service animals!