FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 1, 2024

Seattle, WA – Effective July 1st, 2024, Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center’s (HSDC) Tacoma and Bellingham offices will be closing. The State of Washington’s Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) has made the decision to transition services in-house and terminate community-based services provided by HSDC. HSDC remains committed to serving our community and is dedicated to minimizing disruption to our essential services.

HSDC’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services have been deeply rooted in Western Washington (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Jefferson, Clallam, Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan) for over 25 years. Both of our co-directors have lived here most of their lives, and our team is representative of the community we serve. While the state’s decision presents challenges, we are working to continue delivering services through alternative means, including collaborations with local governments at the city and county levels. We assure our clients, employees, and partners that HSDC will persist in its mission to provide vital services despite this $500,000 budget cut, which is roughly 20% of overall operations.

Celebrating its 87th anniversary this year, HSDC has grown from a small local initiative into a robust community-based organization, serving thousands of clients across the region. Our mission remains to foster inclusive and accessible communities where communication is a right, not a privilege.

By keeping our Seattle office’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services department open, we aim to ensure that King County residents continue to have access to the vital services they rely on. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of service excellence and accessibility.

Our Information & Referral services continue to provide resources and support so that clients can access the services they need in their home areas. Additionally, the community is appealing to the Governor for funding to fill the gaps created by this loss of services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our supportive clients, dedicated employees, and collaborative partners for their unwavering commitment and understanding during this transition. Together, we will navigate these challenges and continue to positively impact the lives of those we serve.

Warm regards,

Ariele Belo and Lindsay Klarman, HSDC Co-Executive Directors

Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center

For King County Residents, in-person advocacy services are available:

HSDC is at 1625 19th St, Seattle, WA 98122 
Monday – Friday | 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

We are taking new clients and patients in our audiology and speech & language clinic. Please contact clinics@hsdc.org to make an appointment.

HSDC Seattle is open during summer if you need any assistance or need to use the public VP.