July is Disability Pride Month – The voices of lived experiences, part three
To celebrate Disability Pride month, the King County Disability Equity Network (KCDEN) gathered reflections from employees living with hidden and visible disabilities about how their disabilities are an asset in the workplace, and how those attributes allow them to effectively serve King County residents.
In part three of a multi-part series, KCDEN is sharing these first-person experiences to highlight the contributions of employees with disabilities. Because disability status is often stigmatized, the thoughts are shared anonymously and have been edited for brevity and clarity.
‘My disability is an asset at work because it allows me to relate to the people I’m providing services for, understand where they’re coming from, and gives me special insight into how to best support them. I wish people knew that when I have to take protected medical leave, it’s not a vacation. Sometimes symptom management has to become your full-time job so you can get back to your baseline, back to work, and continue to provide services to the community.” – An employee from the Department of Community and Human Services
“My disability is an asset at work because it gives me empathy for the people I serve. I wish people knew that many disabilities are hidden and many living with those disabilities fear retaliation if their disability were discovered. One thing King County could do to advance disability equity is to create independent representatives who support individuals as they navigate the reasonable accommodation process.” – An employee from Metro
Every day, King County employees with disabilities provide critical services to our community. As we strive to achieve our vision to make King County a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient region where every individual and community is safe, connected, housed, healthy, and empowered to succeed, the important contributions of our employees with disabilities does not go unnoticed. To learn more about KCDEN visit the Employee Resource Groups webpage, or reach out to us at DisabilityEquity@kingcounty.gov.
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Metro BEES in action
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office employee newsletter
The King County Metro Bicycle Emphasis and Enforcement Squad (BEES) are responsible for providing policing of King County Metro’s bus system and routes throughout the county. During the FIFA World Cup match days in Seattle, the BEES patrolled routes downtown and around the stadium.
Check out this video featuring the BEES in action, put together by KCSO digital and media engagement specialist Marcus Mathisen.
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Executive Zahilay convenes regional leaders to explore historic housing investment
Recently, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced the steering committee for the housing revenue workgroup, a cross-sector group charged with exploring dedicated funding to address the region’s housing and homelessness crisis. The committee held its first meeting earlier this month.
Established through the Breaking the Cycle Executive Order, the steering committee will evaluate the feasibility of a new revenue source to support the building, siting, preservation, maintenance, and operations of emergency shelter and affordable housing in King County, including the potential for the first-ever countywide housing levy.
The committee will regularly engage with service providers as well as private sector partners, philanthropy, and regional leadership to ensure that any proposal reflects a diverse array of perspectives throughout the county.
“Everyone in King County deserves a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Executive Zahilay. Read more.
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Accessible Voting Events, July 22 through Aug. 1
King County Elections is hosting multiple Accessible Voting Events around the county this election season. These events are open to all and are especially intended to support voters with disabilities or who need additional assistance.
In partnership with local libraries and other community groups, these events will have trained Elections staff and accessible voting units to assist voters. At these events, voters can also register to vote or update their voting address, get a replacement ballot, use an accessible voting unit, and ask questions of staff.
View the full schedule of Accessible Voting Events here.
For more information about King County Elections visit kingcounty.gov/Elections.
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Discounts for WA State Fair and Seattle Seahawks
Employees can take advantage of a discount for single day admission to the Washington State Fair and upcoming concerts, Sept. 4-27. Enjoy games, rides, music, and more. Purchase tickets here, using coupon code 26king. Learn more here.
The Seattle Seahawks are excited to offer King County employees, family, and friends the opportunity to purchase tickets at a discounted rate for a few upcoming fall games. Purchase tickets here.
- Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1:25 p.m. Seattle Seahawks vs Los Angeles Chargers, priced $153
- Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1:25 p.m. Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals, priced $133
- Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:25 p.m. Seattle Seahawks vs New York Giants, priced $133
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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King County pet owners alerted to scam
FOX13 Seattle recently shared an article about scammers using AI images of lost pets to target King County residents. Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) was featured in the article, warning owners to remain skeptical and verify the claim with the shelter in-person first.
The article quotes Cameron Satterfield, Communications Manager with King County Department of Executive Services, explaining a recent situation with a pet owner.
“We were actually approached by a resident of King County [who] came into the shelter and said that he had gotten this text from somebody that showed pictures of a pet that was in surgery, and that they demanded immediate payment” for the treatment, said Satterfield.
RASKC reminds pet owners in King County seeking a lost pet to contact RASKC directly:
- Check online: Visit the official registry at kingcounty.gov/LostAPet to look through reports of found animals.
- Visit in person: Walk through the stray kennels at the RASKC shelter, located at 21615 64th Ave. S. in Kent. The shelter is open weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. and weekends from noon to 5 p.m.
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Temporary Surplus Warehouse closure set for early August
Crossposted from the DES Express
King County Personal Property Surplus will close its warehouse from Monday, Aug. 10 through Friday, Aug. 14 for an internal warehouse re-reconfiguration. They will be closed to all “shoppers” while they create a better and more efficient space in the warehouse, located at 5810 7th Ave. South. Surplus will still take deliveries that week.
The warehouse is normally open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a break from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Please contact Surplus at 206-477-0889 or KC.Surplus@kingcounty.gov if you have any questions.
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PeopleSoft outage July 24-27 and new homepage design
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of July 24-27. During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance.
This work will begin on Friday, July 24 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 6:30 a.m. on Monday, July 27.
The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available. We realize that this outage impacts all PeopleSoft users, and we appreciate your understanding and support.
Additionally, an update to PeopleSoft will be made on Monday, July 27. When employees login to PeopleSoft, they will notice the new homepage design with an updated color scheme and navigation options. Check out the video below on the updated ways to navigate or look over this helpful training document to learn more about the new changes. For other PeopleSoft resources, visit the PeopleSoft Knowledge Center.
For help with any technical issues after the update, employees should first clear their browser cache using these instructions. If issues persist, please submit a help ticket at helpdesk.kingcounty.gov.
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VIDEO: Interim DNRP Director Mo McBroom shares her path to public service
Crossposted from DNRP Field Notes
Mo McBroom — appointed by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay in May to serve as the interim Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks after serving year six years as Deputy Director — reflects on her journey from a successful advocate in the state’s environmental movement to leading one of the nation’s largest metropolitan natural resource agencies.
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KCSO in the spotlight: Air support
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office employee newsletter
The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) Air Support Unit was recently featured in an industry publication called Vertical Plus magazine, profiling the team and a collaboration with the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit during the World Cup Matches.
“We’re covering the stadium and all of the transit routes in and out of the city, but we also then have to respond to all of the patrol calls throughout the entire King County region and remain ready to support our tactical teams,” KCSO Sgt. Eric Gagnon told Vertical Plus.
Photo courtesy of Vertical Plus.
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