Summer 2006

Lighthouse President George Jacobson

The Seattle Lighthouse has seen extraordinary transformations in its ninety-five year history. From a small shop where blind people found employment making and selling brooms, we have become a diverse social enterprise employing over one hundred and sixty blind individuals.

When I look back over our history, I am struck by how the leadership, imagination, and spirit of individuals in our community helped to create the unique opportunities available at the Lighthouse today. Every step of the way, we have had individuals willing to go the extra mile to push the Lighthouse to reach ever higher in achieving its mission.

There are so many examples of people who have led the way to expanding opportunities for people with visual disabilities; from the Lighthouse founders who were determined to create opportunities for blind people in the face of tremendous barriers to the leaders of today helping to open up new avenues to employment and training.

I can think of no better example of how an individual’s imagination can be truly transformational than Ethel L. Dupar. Ethel was a leading philanthropist in Seattle devoting her life to helping others. On a visit to Scotland, she encountered a garden for blind people. Inspired, she was determined to create a fragrant garden here in Seattle. Her determination turned a concrete parking lot into a garden filled with amazing fragrances and textures for blind individuals to explore.

Community leaders like Ethel Dupar have always been a cornerstone of Seattle Lighthouse history. Today, community organizations and individuals continue to help expand opportunities for people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities. For instance, members of the Lighthouse Legacy Society have dedicated their resources to ensuring Lighthouse programs and employment opportunities endure far into the future. Their forethought and dedication is integral to our success.

Above all, the leadership and spirit that helps the Lighthouse mission to grow and succeed comes from the blind and Deaf-Blind communities here in the Northwest. It has been my privilege in my thirty-eight years at the Lighthouse to see these communities grow and diversify. Today we have more blind and Deaf-Blind individuals in leadership positions than ever before. Visually impaired people are leading the way in training their peers in succeeding on the job and in living independently. Thanks to leaders like these, the Northwest is home to some of the best employment opportunities and training programs for blind people in the country.

I remember when a group of intrepid individuals volunteered to be a part of our very first Deaf-Blind retreat. Few retreats of these kinds had ever been attempted, but thanks to the very first Deaf-Blind campers and volunteers the retreat is still going strong today. This summer we will host our twenty-eighth annual retreat.

The first Deaf-Blind retreats were instrumental in building a Deaf-Blind community here in Seattle. The Seattle Deaf-Blind community today remains the most vibrant and cohesive community of its kind in the nation. The Deaf-Blind men and women who first came to work at the Lighthouse and take part in such fledgling programs like the retreats were pioneers in establishing this unique community.

As we move closer to our centennial, we salute the extraordinary men and women who have paved the way for the Seattle Lighthouse to grow. You will find more examples of these dedicated individuals in Horizons. I applaud the many individuals who have dedicated themselves to creating opportunities for people who are blind to succeed. They truly exemplify the leadership spirit that transforms communities.

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