Affiliate Spotlight: Disability:IN Washington State
Welcome to our new Affiliate Spotlight series! Each month, we’ll highlight one of our affiliates, celebrating their unique contributions to disability inclusion in their local business communities. Disability:IN affiliates are non-profit, employer-led membership-based business associations that create business-to-business connections, networking, and shared learning.
We are joined by Disability:IN Washington State’s Board President, Steve Nelson.
What is the “story” of your affiliate? Share the history of the affiliate.
Disability: IN Washington State was first established in 2003 as the Washington State Leadership Network. This affiliate hosted job fairs, workshops teaching how to start an employee resource group, educational dinners, and many other events in partnership with other companies. In 2010, State funding for the affiliate ran out, and there was question as to what would happen with the group. There were many hurdles and discussions, but the board eventually determined that the services the affiliate provided to local businesses and for local employees was too important to end – so they voted to continue the affiliate. Through resiliency and determination, the affiliate has managed to continue on a grant received back in 2010. 2025 is a year of renaissance for the affiliate as it is bringing on new membership, planning for more and larger events, and will begin rounds of fundraising to ensure it continues to pave the way for an accessible Washington for many years to come.
What are some of the key initiatives or projects your affiliate is currently focused on?
We are focusing on ramping up our programming and events, which were reduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will begin our programming with a virtual event focused on mental wellness in the workplace, and have also discussed putting together a toolkit of resources for companies who may need greater support. We are hoping to eventually get to the point where we can host a large annual summit focused on Disability Inclusion. We think an event like that could be outstanding for our Pacific Northwest area businesses.
Can you share some background on the head of your affiliate? What is your connection to disability inclusion, and how has it influenced your leadership?
Steve Nelson is the new Board President for the Washington State Affiliate. Steve lives with several invisible disabilities and has worked in the disability inclusion space professionally for 15 years. Today, Steve is the Accessibility Program Manager for Seattle-based Alaska Air Group, which includes Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, and Hawaiian Airlines. Steve’s connection to the disability community inspires him to continuously push and advocate for change. He has been working to bring new members to the Washington State Affiliate who can spread the mission, support with additional resources, help with speakers, and enhance the affiliate’s web presence.
How does your affiliate collaborate with local businesses and organizations to advance disability inclusion in your community?
Washington State is home to several large companies, and we are proud to have representation from many of them on our board. In addition to Alaska Air Group, the Washington State Affiliate includes representation from Nordstrom, Microsoft, T-Mobile, and Amazon. This helps us to broaden our reach within our community by offering high-level support and knowledge to smaller businesses that may not have a disability function or accessibility manager on staff. Many of our local businesses are still in the early stages of their disability inclusion learning, but with the support of members and leaders representing companies with established programs, we can create a more accessible and disability-friendly Washington.
