DSHS’ Developmental Disabilities Administration honors the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the transformational leader of our American Civil Rights Movement, and one of the most influential leaders for peace and equity. As an embodiment of our core DDA values, we are committed to his dream of a society where individuals are not judged “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”[1] We are dedicated to a culture of belonging with respect and understanding of diverse cultures, social groups, and individual attributes. We build and maintain relationships that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion and invite clients and communities to participate in planning in a person-centered way, delivering, and evaluating services.

All of us — our staff, contractors, and clients — aspire to live in communities of inclusion where diversity is valued and embraced.  We want to live, work, learn, relax and recreate in a culture that offers opportunities for all members to participate.

On January 18, 2021, we encourage you to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. Let your actions on this day and every day be a message of peace, love, civility, and unity.   Remember his call for every human to look upon each other and judge them on the content of their character. Dr. King asked that everyone use your inherent talents to become a beacon of hope for those who may be experiencing hardships or injustice.

We leave you with these words of hope Dr. King would often sing to those who followed his peaceful movements, “We shall overcome. We shall overcome, some day. Oh, deep in my heart. I do believe. We shall overcome, some day. We'll walk hand in hand. We'll walk hand in hand, some day.”[2]