Letter from the Leadership
HSDC’s leadership is committed to sustainable programming that is led with transparency. That’s why we are working closely with the staff and Board of Directors to see what went well during the previous year and where we can improve. We’re strong believers that you cannot move forward unless you know where you’ve been.
Our programs hit several milestones in 2018 that show our growth.
The Rosen Family Preschool has its highest enrollment to date, serving all members of the community including Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing preschoolers. These children are uniquely equipped to be bilingual at an early age in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. The teachers are working closely with local school districts, the City of Seattle, and King County to make sure we support not only the children in our classroom, but their entire families, as well.
The Parent-Infant Program (PIP), which provides 0-3 in-home early support services, is exploring virtual home visits, which give our staff the potential to reach even more families with deaf and hard of hearing toddlers.
Strong partnerships with local hospitals and law enforcement have allowed HSDC Interpreting Services to invest in more on-demand interpreting for medical and legal professionals.
Our Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services program continues to educate legislators on the need for equal pay for employees with disabilities. It is also working with our Audiology department to ensure HSDC provides affordable options for hearing aids, allowing everybody in the community to have the best care, regardless of their ability to pay.
We are providing more accessible speech-language support with the creation of the Speech Community Cares Fund, which allows us to serve community members whose insurance does not fully cover the cost of speech therapy.
We are grateful to all of you for supporting our mission to foster inclusive and accessible communities. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, we hope you consider stopping by to join me, Lindsay, for what we call, "A Cup of Tea with the ED". We would love to learn more about your connection to the HSDC family. YOU are important to us.
The HDSC Equity Team has become an integral part of our organization since being founded by a few enterprising staff members in 2017. After meeting monthly for almost a year, the team decided to revamp and reformat at the start of Fiscal Year 2018.
The revamp came with a new mission: challenge inequity within HSDC to correct historical disparities and create institutional change.
The team decided to focus on racial equity, noting that racial discrimination is the dominant form of inequity in our society. Over the course of the year, they continued to meet monthly and discuss how to make HSDC more equitable for people of color. In addition to presenting at staff meetings, they began developing a survey for HSDC’s staff and board, and sent their first monthly equity email in May 2018.
In order to fulfill our own mission of inclusive, accessible communities, HSDC must work to make our organization and services equitable for people of every race, heritage, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and disability. We’re lucky to have the HSDC Equity Team help us on our journey.
Create future accessible & inclusive communities
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE WITH A PLANNED GIFT
Have you ever wondered how you can leave a legacy and impact future generations? When you and your family make your will and think about your estate plans, we hope that you consider including HSDC.
Have you considered including HSDC in your will? Ask your financial planner about details. Or have you already included us in your will? We would love to know.
If you would like more information, please contact Carol Brown, Director of Development at CarolB@hsdc.org, direct phone line: 206.388.1286 or direct videophone (VP) 206.829.5157.