Our mission is to provide an inclusive environment in which all families receive individualized programs of education, advocacy, therapy and family support that nurture the development of children with and without disabilities.
2919 1st Avenue West Seattle, WA 98119
206-286-2322
Northwest Center was founded in 1965 by parents who refused to institutionalize their children with developmental disabilities or accept the prevailing notion that their children could not be taught. Banding together to form Northwest Center, they hired their own teachers to develop education programs targeted to special needs and found that their children could indeed learn.
That was only the first step. Still frustrated that children with disabilities weren’t accepted in public schools, these 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.
The spirit of advocacy and innovation that gave rise to our organization has continued to influence our development. Now over four decades later, Northwest Center has grown to become the largest community service organization serving the needs of children and adults with disabilities in the Pacific Northwest.