Northwest Center

Specialties

Most people recognize Northwest Center for the iconic Big Blue Trucks. Donations of clothing and vehicles are a primary source of income for Northwest Center’s programs, which serve people with developmental disabilities. The more we can collect and resell, the more funding is available to serve children and adults in our community.

Northwest Center Works provides career development for adults with disabilities, including Down Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. We offer a customized employment plan based on the skills and interests of each person, combined with specialized training to assist them in achieving their goals.

Northwest Center Kids changes the course of children’s lives. Our therapy program offers a customized approach to each child’s physical, speech, feeding and special education needs. We also provide a NAEYC-​accredited inclusive early learning program, where children of all abilities learn, play and grow together.

History

Established in 1965.

The parents who started Northwest Center refused to accept the prevailing notion that their children with cognitive disabilities couldn’t be taught and should be housed in institutions. Frustrated that their children were not accepted in public schools, they banded together to form Northwest Center for the Retarded, they hired their own teachers to develop education programs targeted to special needs and found that their children could indeed learn.

Based on this experience, the same parents authored and won approval of civil rights legislation that opened the doors of Washington State schools to all children – with no exceptions. The Education for All Act was the first such law in the nation and served as the model for federal legislation.