Jim House, Disability/AFN Integration Manager for the Coalition on Inclusive Emergency Planning jim.house@dshs.wa.gov ©2026 by WASILC 7/30/2026
By now, I hope many of you have read about a racoon named Jimothy, Seattle’s latest internet mascot living with a disability that has garnered worldwide attention and millions of fans. Several people living in the Ballard area have been posting photos, videos, and memes of a wild racoon scampering around the neighborhood with what appears to be a humped back because from a spinal deformity. Estimated to be around two years old, Jimothy looks otherwise healthy and active. Experts have attributed this to having supportive care from his mother since birth.
I did notice something missing. The timing of this viral sensation circulating on social media, t-shirts, and assorted commentary appears to be coincidental in one way. Much of the comments I have read about Jimothy never mentioned that his discovery occurred right in the middle of July, recognized as the National Disability Pride Month and acknowledged as the 36th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Personally, Jimothy’s appearance happened while Courtney Williams and I were in Washington, DC at the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Annual Conference to give a presentation “Architects of Resilience”. The theme of this year’s Conference was Protect. Persist. Prosper. As we protect our hard-fought disability rights, we all need to persist so everyone can have a fair and equitable chance to prosper.
While we were in DC, we also visited our Senators, several Congressional Representatives from Washington State, and some policy makers at the White House. We shared the themes from our presentation, stressing the importance of and elevating inclusive preparedness for any disaster. Our message on behalf of WASILC and CIEP honed on these critical issues:
Inclusive Emergency Management: WASILC & CIEP
Regular Operations during “Blue Sky Days”
Nationwide Network with The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
Disaster Response & Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Review After-Action Report, including a Plain Language summary
Federal Policy Priorities: FCC & Telecommunications Accessibility
Implementing ASL and Multilingual Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) Templates in 13 most used languages.
Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act to ensure modern digital, streaming, and emergency communications remain accessible to all.
State Disability Funding Models & Research
Comparison between Washington, Ohio, California, Florida, and New York state funding models.
Opportunities for Federal & State Alignment for WASILC/CIEP
Permanently Stabilizing CIEP Funding
FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG)
CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Grants
State Legislative Provisos
Expanding CIL Capacity in Underserved & Tribal Communities
As we close out Disability Pride Month, we need to recognize that we have a busy year ahead of us. Disability rights never ends in July. We cannot afford to sit back and relax while our rights are being chipped away. Jimothy is telling us that our democracy is not a spectator sport; we need all of you to engage with us. Come help us shape our future together as we define our next cycle for the Washington State Plan for Independent Living.
