Sixty years ago, four Seattle mothers fighting to give their children the right to learn and thrive in public schools started an ”inclusion revolution.” Their children had disabilities and, in the 1960s, kids like theirs were not only banned from schools, but also were medically uninsurable. There was a “culture of shame” around disabilities, and these women were determined to change it.

So, Janet Taggart, Katie Dolan, Cecile Lindquist, and Evelyn Chapman joined other parents to form a network of “basement schools” in the rec rooms and cafeterias of local churches and synagogues. This demonstrated that their children actually could learn, and the women formed a speakers’ bureau to educate the public and raise money. In 1965,  Northwest Center was founded to promote the growth, development, and independence of people with disabilities through programs of therapy, education, and work opportunity. 

Northwest Center’s Founding Mothers

Seattle - the birthplace of Special Education

The four founding mothers partnered with University of Washington law students, William “Bill” Dussault and the late George Edensword-Breck, to write the first law in the nation guaranteeing public education to children with disabilities.  House Bill 90 Education for All was signed into law by Washington State Governor Dan Evans on May 25,1971.  House Bill 90 then became the blueprint for national legislation and became the Education of Handicapped Children Act, which was passed in 1975.  In 1990, amendments to the law were passed, effectively changing the name to what it is known today as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which continues to impact every child in every ZIP code in this country today.

A nonprofit building a more equitable world for people with disabilities

Today, Northwest Center provides comprehensive, disability-inclusive services from cradle through career. 

• Early Supports for children from birth to three years old
• Inclusive Early Learning
• Employment Services for adults with disabilities
• Training and consultation to empower businesses to provide inclusive workplaces and communities
• Accessibility partners to provide services for blind and low-vision professionals at several fortune 100 companies
• Training and consultation to empower educators to provide inclusive classrooms

Northwest Center’s impact in 2024:

• 35,395 Children and adults with disabilities served
• 34,055 Children served by Early Learning Programs
• 636 Children with disabilities and their families provided therapy
• 704 Adults with disabilities supported with skill development and job coaching

There is still more work to be done in the fight for inclusion

While our work directly impacts children and adults with disabilities, there is still more work to be done in the fight for inclusion. Take a look at these statistics:

• While the unemployment rate improved in 2023 for people with disabilities, from 8.2% to 7.2%, it is still double the unemployment rate compared to people without disabilities at 3.5%
• Kids with disabilities make up just 13% of children in U.S. preschools, but are 75% of all kids who get rejected from those schools

“We do what’s needed”

Gene Boes, Northwest Center CEO, says, “Northwest Center continues to be the leader in a nationwide inclusion revolution because we embrace the attitude of our Founding Mothers, that we must do what's needed. The inclusive world we all deserve will truly require that educators, employers, legislators, leaders, and advocates embrace that attitude. We will work with the disability community to unleash the power of each individual and family, understanding that until each of those voices are heard, we won't be able to make the progress in which we so strongly believe."

Join us in celebrating Northwest Center’s 60^th Anniversary at one of our events this year: Breakfast of Hope on Thursday, May 8, 2025 and the 60^th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, September 6, 2025.

For more information, resources, or to make a donation, visit nwcenter.org.