The Adults and Elders Program and the Arc of Washington have formed a partnership to promote health for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Washington State. The purpose of our partnership is to pool our efforts toward improving the health of people with I/DD across the lifespan. Our partnership supports our common belief in the importance of health as a foundation for quality of life. We collaborate through networking among people with disabilities and their families, support staff, service providers and health care providers. Through our networking activities we expect to involve people with disabilities and their families in learning about how to maximize their health, facilitate broader access to existing information about health issues, and collaborate on projects to improve the scientific knowledge base about health for people with disabilities. We are currently beginning plans to jointly develop health promotion training programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
