Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind

The Lighthouse for the Blind Inc. in Seattle is a non-profit organization that provides employment, support, and training opportunities for individuals who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities. The Lighthouse is a manufacturing organization that centers on making quality products for the federal government under the Javits-Wagner-O’Day program and producing airline parts for The Boeing Company. Currently, the Lighthouse employs 116 Blind employees and 57 individuals who are Deaf-Blind or blind with other disabilities.

History of the Lighthouse

The Lighthouse originally started out in 1915 as a social club called Seattle Association for the Blind. Realizing that many blind people faced barriers in the area of education and employment, the Association opened a small retail shop selling jigsaw puzzles and baskets made by blind members. In 1918, the growing organization became The Lighthouse for the Blind Inc. This name was already in common use throughout the country, with over 100 different agencies choosing the Lighthouse moniker. Eventually, the Lighthouse began to grow by expanding broom-making operations into larger sites and finally moving to its present location in the Rainier Valley neighborhood of Seattle. In the 1950’s, the Lighthouse merged with Handcrestr a state ran sheltered workshop which acquired a contract with Boeing. They also utilized the Javits-Wagner-O-Day act of 1938, a mandate that requires the federal government to purchase goods and services made by agencies employing blind people, to expand employment opportunities that required higher skill levels to blind individuals. Rehabilitation services also began to form at the Lighthouse, including vocational testing, counseling, orientation and mobility training with a white cane or guide dog, job training, and independent living skills. Today, the nature of jobs at the Lighthouse continues to change as jobs once thought impossible for blind individuals are now being done routinely.

Programs and Services

The Lighthouse offers a range of support services for visually impaired employees and blind people in the Seattle community. The Group Supported Employment program employs 25 blind and Deaf-Blind adults with developmental disabilities. Supported employees are assigned a job coach who provides instruction, guidance, and support to help them succeed in their position. The Deaf-Blind Technology Training Center helps to serve the Deaf-Blind community by building computer skills through assistive technology. The TTC offers up to date training for both work and independent living. The Annual Deaf-Blind Retreat is a week long event offering an array of activities, workshops, and resources in a completely accessible environment for Deaf-Blind individuals throughout the United States.

Today the Lighthouse continues to be the leading employer for blind and Deaf-Blind individuals. With the unemployment rate of blind adults at over 70%, the Lighthouse recognizes the need to provide employment opportunities, technology training services, and general support to the blind and Deaf-Blind community.

External Links:

 * Lighthouse for the Blind Inc. website