What Light Rail Means to the Blind and Deaf-Blind Communities

Aside from the obvious increase in mobility for blind and Deaf-Blind people, the new light rail opens a broader range of possibilities in terms of where people can live. With the cost of living in Seattle being so high, many people are finding their home farther and farther away. Light rail makes it possible to live a distance away and get to and from work. The bus system is well linked to the light rail route, creating a web of commute options. Inside the cars are large visual displays indicating the next stop on high contrast backgrounds making it easy to see. The engineers of the system thought to place tactile markers near the tracks creating a safe situation for all blind people.
- Mark Landreneau

Link Light Rail Inaugural Ride

Mark Landreneau and I were invited to be on Sound Transit's Light Rail inaugural ride Saturday morning! The event was quite festive and the crowd seemed happy to see the rail opening at last! Dave Ross emceed the opening ceremonies with humor. Seattle Mayor Nickels and Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton arrived on their respective trains to commemorate the historic connection of Seattle and Tukwila.

Members of the Boys and Girls club held a blue ribbon that was cut before invitees boarded the trains. We had the opportunity to greet several public officials including Congressman Jim McDermott, Mayor Nickels, ST CEO Joni Earl, King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, King County Council Member Larry Phillips, and King County Executive Kurt Triplett. Our good friend Jackie Engler represented our sister agency, The Deaf-Blind Service Center, and rode in the same train car as we did. Scott Gutierrez from the Seattle PI interviewed Mark, photo above, during the ride about the impact of the new transportation system for Deaf-Blind people. Mark, who is deaf and vision impaired, was on a citizen's advisory panel for the rail line.

The ride was smooth. In a rail car crammed full of people, we glided along down to the Tukwila station near SeaTac, enjoying the view, the company and the public art work along the route. When I returned to the Seattle Lighthouse, there was a crowd of Deaf-Blind people in front of the building with their supporters getting ready to grab the bus to the station to ride the Light Rail.

We are really excited to have this additional transportation option out there for our employees, stakeholders and community members!

- Paula Hoffman, Vice President of Governmental Affairs

Inland Northwest Lighthouse

The Inland Northwest Lighthouse (INL) is rapidly approaching its one-year anniversary this summer! Our first satellite operation, the INL has helped to expand job opportunities to blind people across Washington State. Hiring the first blind employee at the INL in June 2008, today we employ 30 blind individuals in Spokane and plan to add more jobs in the year to come. Products currently manufactured at the INL include wallboards, file folders, binders, paper trimmers, and easels. INL employees celebrated this wonderful milestone with the summer trip to the Spokane Indians baseball game. Congratulations to all Inland Northwest Lighthouse employees on their amazing growth and hard work over the last year!

Get Ready for the 31st Annual Deaf-Blind Retreat!

In August, our Deaf-Blind Retreat celebrates its 31st anniversary of offering an accessible community retreat to Deaf-Blind people across the Unites States. Ninety Deaf-Blind people from throughout the US and beyond will come together for an extraordinary week of learning, recreation, and community-building that shows "Deaf-Blind Can Do." Through the years, the Deaf-Blind community has come together at the retreat to support and learn from one another. The passion of the Deaf-Blind community, volunteer interpreters and guides, and generous private donors has kept this wonderful experience going strong for over three decades. Thanks to all of you for making this wonderful experience possible. For more information, visit www.seattlelighthouse.org

The Seattle Lighthouse Expands Fragrant Garden for the Blind and Deaf-Blind

Interest in fragrant plants is growing locally and nationally, and Seattle Lighthouse’s Ethel L. Dupar Fragrant Garden is on the cutting edge of this trend! As the only year-round display garden dedicated to fragrant plants in Seattle, the garden is designed expressly for the enjoyment of people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, or who have other disabilities. This year there are many changes on the horizon for the garden, including the addition of a new raised flower-bed! Visit http://www.seattlelighthouse.org/garden/ to read more about the garden.