Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services – Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center

Who We Serve

Need an ASL interpreter? Visit our Interpreting Services page.

Deaf? Hard of hearing? Late-deafened? We provide support and assistance to any person experiencing communication barriers related to hearing, as well as family and friends. Our services are free for Deaf, hard of hearing, and late-deafened individuals.

We also provide workshops, presentations, and trainings to organizations who wish to better accommodate deaf and hard of hearing clients, customers, or employees.

Join our newsletter for updates about Deaf Services and local Deaf news:

A map of Washington State counties around the Puget Sound. It is color-coded to show which counties are served by each of three HSDC offices.

We provide services to thirteen counties across the Greater Puget Sound Area

Seattle Office (Puget Sound): King, Snohomish, Jefferson, Clallum, and North Kitsap (Bainbridge Island and north of Bremerton)
Tacoma Office (South Sound): Pierce, Grays Harbor, Thurston, Mason, and South Kitsap (Bremerton and south of Bremerton)
Bellingham Office (North Sound): Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island

Free Support for Deaf Individuals

Are you Deaf? Do you need help with any of the following things?

Finding a job
Keeping a job
Finding housing
Finding an interpreter

Medical issues
Legal issues
Paying bills or taxes
Voting

We can help with these issues and much more! HSDC has Deaf staff members who can give you one-on-one support using American Sign Language (ASL) or other communication styles.

You can visit one of our three offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham, or we can travel to you. We are also available by phone and email to answer short questions and give referrals.

Free Support for Hard of Hearing & Late-Deafened Individuals

Do you struggle to communicate because of your hearing? Do you need help advocating for your needs with local businesses, service providers, or your friends and family? Looking for resources that can help?

Whatever kind of support you need, our advocates can work with you using the type of communication you feel most comfortable with, whether that be speaking or sign language.

You can visit one of our three offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham, or we can travel to you. We are also available by phone and email to answer short questions and give referrals.

Information & Referral

Deaf, hard of hearing, and late-deafened individuals can contact us for free with questions about topics such as:

Accommodation
Communication strategies
Local events
Deaf-friendly hospitals and service providers

Housing
Legal rights
Voting
Employment

Support for Organizations

Outreach & Education

We provide free workshops and presentations to organizations such as businesses, schools, and nonprofits. These workshops include information on issues that are important to deaf and hard of hearing community members, including senior citizens. Examples of topics include:

How to communicate with deaf or hard of hearing clients, customers, or callers
How to accommodate deaf or hard of hearing employees in the workplace
Information about Deaf culture

Workplace Accommodation Evaluations

Does your deaf or hard of hearing employee need help communicating in the workplace? We provide individualized consultations that can help you and your employee determine any communication needs and build a plan for the future. We’ll travel to you so we can assess your needs in your everyday setting.

Depending on your request, we may charge a fee for workplace accommodation services. Contact us to learn more.

Assistive Listening Systems (ALS)

Our Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellingham offices have Assistive Listening Systems available for loan to organizations who are accommodating deaf and hard of hearing community members.