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People and News

Community Partner Spotlight: Open Doors for Multicultural Families

September 21, 2026

Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF) supports multicultural and underserved communities, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. ODMF works to ensure that individuals and families have equitable access to resources, services, and opportunities that help them thrive.

Open Doors for Multicultural Families logo with graphics representing multi-colored doors and the organization's name

ODMF’s services include family support, youth engagement, training and education, life skills support, staff and family consultation, and assistive technology. Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves genuine belonging, ODMF meets people where they are, in the language and cultural context that feels like home to them. 

Accessible technology 

Accessible technology has the power to improve communication, independence, education, employment, and community participation. However, many of the families ODMF serves face barriers to accessing assistive technology due to cost, limited awareness of available resources, language barriers, and a lack of culturally responsive support. ODMF helps bridge these gaps by providing training, consultations, device exploration opportunities, and culturally and linguistically accessible support to families and community members.

The Multicultural Village (MCV)

Rendering of the Multicultural Village created by Schemata Workshop.
Rendering of the ODMF Family Resource Center lobby created by Schemata Workshop.

One of ODMF’s most significant accomplishments is the development of the Multicultural Village (MCV), located adjacent to the Kent/Des Moines Light Rail Station. In partnership with Mercy Housing Northwest, ODMF is helping create a first-of-its-kind inclusive community designed to meet the needs of low-income multicultural families, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Multicultural Village will include 233 affordable, fully accessible, family-sized apartments, with 20% of the units dedicated to people with IDD and their families. The development will also house an Early Learning Center serving children with and without disabilities, and an ODMF Family Resource Center that will provide services and supports for individuals with IDD, their families, and caregivers. The Family Resource Center will also include an Assistive Technology Lab, expanding opportunities for innovation, training, and community-based support.

Since the beginning of 2026, the project has achieved several major milestones, including closing on financing, securing project permits, beginning construction, hosting a groundbreaking celebration, developing a business plan for a new adult day program, and securing additional funding. Construction began February 2026 and is expected to be completed in August 2028. 

ODMF staff have been developing a new Adult Day Program that will operate within the Multicultural Village. In the past year, ODMF collected survey responses from 98 adults with disabilities, family members, and caregivers to better understand desired services, priorities, and operational needs. These findings informed the development of a comprehensive business plan that will guide the program’s future implementation.

Goals for the future

ODMF is focused on expanding equitable access to assistive technology and culturally responsive supports for multicultural families and individuals with disabilities. Through the future Assistive Technology Lab at the Multicultural Village, we hope to create a welcoming space where families can explore technology, build skills, and access resources that promote independence, inclusion, and opportunity. We are committed to growing partnerships and innovative programs that help our communities thrive.

ODMF and CREATE

ODMF Assistive Technology Specialist Diana Sanda shared thoughts about ODMF’s partnership with CREATE

“Our partnership with CREATE  has meant a great deal to us and has been incredibly valuable. Through this collaboration, ODMF has worked alongside UW students and researchers on initiatives that support accessible and inclusive technology. CREATE has helped expand opportunities for innovation, learning, and community engagement while supporting ODMF’s mission of making technology more accessible to diverse communities. These connections have created real pathways for growth—both for the students involved and for the families we serve. We’re grateful for CREATE’s continued partnership and excited to keep building on it.”

Learn more about ODMF and CREATE’s community partnerships