The Lighthouse stands out as one of Seattle's oldest nonprofit organizations, with over ninety years of continuous service to blind people in our community. The Lighthouse saw its beginnings around 1910 as a social club called the Seattle Association of the Blind. The fledgling group soon realized that many blind people faced barriers in the areas of basic education, training and employment. In order to address these needs, the Association opened a small retail shop, selling jigsaw puzzles and baskets made by their members. For the complete history of the Seattle Lighthouse, please click here  

Seattle’s Best-Kept Secret:
A History of the Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.
by Junius Rochester

This newly released history follows the Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. through the early days of broom-making and chair-caning to the thriving manufacturing operation it is today.

It also follows the development and expansion of critical services and programs: assistive technology and the opportunities it has opened up for blind and Deaf-Blind people; our nationally recognized Deaf-Blind program, which plays a key role in Seattle’s Deaf-Blind community; and support and employment for blind individuals with developmental disabilities.

Through this narrative, you will learn about the men and women who have shaped the Lighthouse mission of promoting independence and self-sufficiency of people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities.

As Ray Haman writes in the foreword to Seattle’s Best-Kept Secret:

The book you are about to read is not just a history of a venerable Seattle institution... It is also a story of evolving attitudes and expanding opportunities -- evolving attitudes toward visually impaired individuals and their capabilities, and expanding opportunities for them to become self-sufficient in their careers and private lives.

The history book is available in hard-cover and soft-cover additions.

Pricing is as follows including tax:

Hard-cover $18
Soft-cover $10

Books will be shipped to the address you provide.

Click here to order online!