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PRIORITIES <br />The fottowing priorities were setected by the Kittitas County Devetopmentat Disabitities Advisory <br />Committee through a process that included facilitated brainstorming, affinity diagramming, <br />prioritization, goal setting, and action planning. These four priorities witt be utitized, not only for the <br />DDAC, but also for funding and programmatic decisions during the biennium. Requests for funding and <br />programs beyond the employment support services wit[, idealty, atign with these areas. Additionatty, <br />the DDAC identified a core vatue of ensuring the inclusion and involvement of people with DD and <br />their families in addressing these priorities. <br />POLICY MAKER ENGAGEMENT <br />Policy makers at the state or local levels often do not have much knowledge or awareness about the <br />issues faced by peopte with devetopmental disabitities and often people with DD don't have a seat at <br />the tabte discussion issues that affect them. To bring the voices of people with DD and increase <br />knowledge and awareness, our goal is to serve as liaisons to policy makers to increase awareness <br />and facilitate solutions to the issues faced by people with DD. The goal witt be accomptished <br />through strategies involving poticy makers at the city, county, and state levels. <br />COMMUNITY INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE <br />Peopte with DD often remain invisible to the general community which can tead to discrimination, <br />conftict, and even violence. Our goal is to help our community be more inclusive and accepting of <br />people with DD through pubtic events and communications. <br />RESOURCE AND SERVICE EDUCATION <br />Even in a smatl rural community such as Kittitas County, it can be difficutt to know what resources and <br />services are available. To make this information and the resources more accessible, we aim to <br />education families, individuals, and the public about services available for people with DD. We witt <br />do this through improving and communicating current information about services. <br />CONFLICT REDUCTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNICATION <br />Peopte with DD often find themsetves in conflict with the public, law enforcement, or the courts due to <br />a lack of understanding and/or difficutties in communication. To reduce conflict and improve <br />communication with people with DD, we will coltaborate with local law enforcement, improve <br />common language about people with DD, and advocate for the estabtishment of a mental health court <br />program. <br />20