We thrive.

Mission and History

Mission

Using Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) and oral communication we prepare deaf and hard-of-hearing children to be self-confident, articulate and academically competitive learners, and engaged community members.

History

Founders Judy Callahan and Karen Appelman

Founders Judy Callahan and Karen Appelman

In the 1970s, two public school special education teachers—Karen Appelman and Judy Callahan—became disillusioned with traditional deaf education. They saw that it was failing deaf and hard-of-hearing children and decided to do something about it. With the support of generous donors, they founded Northwest School for Hearing-Impaired Children, which opened its doors in 1982. The school’s name was later changed to Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children (NWSDHH).

Since our inception, NWSDHH has grown to partner with more than 20 school districts, offers a range of services for children ages birth through middle school, and we now serve 500 Western Washington families annually. Thanks to our growing community of donors and support from local school districts, we are able to achieve remarkable outcomes while keeping our one-of-a-kind programs within reach of all families who might benefit.