Who We Serve

Deaf | Hard of Hearing or Late-Deafened | Appointment Procedures | Information & Referral | Organizations | Contact Info | Staff

 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 Deafhard 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.


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.

HSDC’s Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services has three offices located in Seattle, Bellingham, and Tacoma. 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

Contact us to learn more

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 SeattleTacoma, and Bellingham, or we can travel to you. We are also available by phone and email to answer short questions and give referrals.

Contact us to learn more or set up an appointment.

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 SeattleTacoma, and Bellingham, or we can travel to you. We are also available by phone and email to answer short questions and give referrals.

Contact us to learn more or set up an appointment.

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

In addition, local businesses, agencies, or schools can contact us for free with questions about topics such as:

  • Employee accommodations
  • Student accommodations
  • Customer/client accommodations
  • Communication strategies
  • Accessibility training
  • More

Contact us by email or phone with questions.

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.

ASL Interpreting

Visit our Interpreting Services page to request an interpreter or learn more about ASL interpreting.

Contact us to learn more about your options.

Hours

Seattle Office

Monday – Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm

Tacoma Office

Monday – Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm

Bellingham Office

Monday – Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm

Locations

Seattle office, Floor 1
Tacoma office
Bellingham office

Contact

Online
Email: deafservices@hsdc.org
Videophone: 206-452-7953
Phone (voice): 206-323-5770
Fax: 206-328-6871

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Staff

Staff

Click on a staff member’s picture to learn more about them.
    • Talitha Asteria

      Talitha Asteria

      Client Advocate South Sound

    • Ariele Belo

      Director Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services & HSDC Co-Executive Director

    • Joel Bergsbaken

      Joel Bergsbaken

      Associate Director & Client Advocate North Sound

    • James Christianson

      James “Dino” Christianson, Jr.

      Senior Client Advocate North Sound

    • Valdies Czikan

      Valdies Czikan

      Bilingual ASL & English Information & Referral Specialist

    • Rowan D'Amore

      Rowan D’Amore

      Client Advocate South Sound

    • Jena Floyd

      Jena Floyd

      Client Advocate Puget Sound

    • Devin Myers

      Devin Myers

      Client Advocate Puget Sound