DAC Northwest to celebrate 30 years

MOSCOW — The Disability Action Center Northwest will hold its 30th anniversary celebration from 4-6 p.m. on May 3.

The public is invited to tour the office, see assistive technology demonstrations, and learn about the services DAC provides to help clients live independently. The event will also feature free door prizes and refreshments.

Mark Leeper, executive director at DAC, said the organization will also provide information on a new program, Veteran-Directed Care, to local veterans with disabilities who qualify.

“This is a pure self-direction model,” Leeper said. “(Veterans) can apply if they’re eligible, then they get a budget. And they can employ their spouse or other family member, pay up to $20, so that they can stay where they’re staying.”

The program allows family members who already stay home to take care of veterans with disabilities to be compensated for their work, he said.

“Our first family was a guy up in Spokane,” Leeper said. “It’s great, because his wife now gets paid for staying at home, and she was doing that anyway.”