Since 1965, Northwest Center has led the charge for disability inclusion
Like so many revolutions, it started with injustice. Four Seattle moms just wanted their children with disabilities to learn, but in the early 1960s, kids like theirs were barred from schools. So Janet Taggart, Katie Dolan, Cecile Lindquist, and Evelyn Chapman joined other parents to start “basement schools” in rec rooms and cafeterias at local churches and synagogues.
In 1965, those schools became Northwest Center. In 1971, our founders wrote and passed a law guaranteeing public education to kids with disabilities in Washington state. And in 1975, they helped write and pass the U.S. law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Explore how Northwest Center’s founders started an inclusion revolution, a legacy that continues to inspire our work for disability inclusion and anti-ableism today.
Meet Our Founders
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Janet Taggart
When Janet’s daughter Naida, a little girl with a disability, was rejected even by doctor’s offices and Sunday schools, Janet was inspired to work on behalf of all children. “We did what we had to do,” Janet says. Today, she remains focused on civil rights for people with disabilities.
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Cecile Lindquist
Cecile joined the fight for disability rights when she learned that her beloved cousin Tommy, who had Down syndrome, wasn’t welcome at any local schools. Cecile made it her life’s work to fight for disability rights. She passed away in 2019.
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Evelyn Chapman
Chapman helped found Northwest Center so her son Coolidge could go to school. Her tenacity in fighting for disability rights was legendary, including her fearless approach to ousting a director who went against Northwest Center’s founding principles of including all kids.
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Katie Dolan
Katie was an advocate for her son Patrick and other kids with disabilities. She was also a model, actress, and host of Seattle-area TV shows, connections she used to lobby for disability rights. She and Taggart formed the first of what are now Protection and Advocacy agencies in every state.
Four Seattle moms. An entire world of change.
Watch “Together They Were Stronger,” a short film by Thriving Communities on how Northwest Center’s founders wrote and passed the first disability inclusion laws in the U.S.
Everett Herald: How Moms in a VW Van Achieved a Civil Rights Milestone in ’71
Hear from two of the authors of House Bill 90, “Education for All,” on what it took to write and pass milestone legislation.
It Took Citizens Who Cared
Read how Northwest Center passed the first laws in the United States for disability education.
50 Years after Education for All, What’s Next for Inclusive Education?
Explore the legacy of Washington House Bill 90, “Education for All,” on its 50th anniversary in 2021.
Seattle Times: Build on Legacy of Moms Who Opened Schools to Disabled Students
A call to action from Gene Boes, President and CEO of Northwest Center, and Stacy Dym, Executive Director of The Arc of Washington State.