When it comes to serving the Seattle community, Town Hall Seattle walks–no, runs–the talk. Its venues are fully ADA-accessible, and most events cost just $5 (!), even for events with names as big as Mark Bittman and Tavis Smiley.

And now Town Hall Seattle can be called a bright star in hearing accessibility, too: both its Downstairs and Great Hall have hearing loops.

Thanks to donations and support from 4Culture, the Hearing Loss Association of Washington, a handful of anonymous donors, and Catherine and David Skinner, Town Hall Seattle’s civic, artistic, literary, and cultural events can be heard clearly by people with hearing loss.

And speaking of big names, yes, that’s Katherine Bouton with her hand on her hip in the above pictures. We were thrilled to have her back in Seattle to celebrate the launch of Town Hall’s hearing loops on September 15, 2014. Bouton shared information on her personal journey through hearing loss and chatted onstage with veteran Seattle broadcaster Mike James.

This meaningful event introduced us to many new faces, including City of Seattle Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, posing above with Cheri Perazzoli, bottom left. And many young people brought questions for Bouton about accommodations in their workplaces and elsewhere.

With Town Hall Seattle as a leading light and so many advocates acting a force for change, Washington State will soon lead the country in hearing accessibility. We can’t wait!

All photos courtesy of Miguel Edwards at Miguel Edwards Photography:  http://migueledwardsphotography.com