Organized in 1898 with four teachers and 37 students, the Detroit Day School for the Deaf is one of the oldest schools of its kind in the United States. Its name distinguished it from residential programs, the more usual form of education for the deaf at that time. The present building was built to serve exclusively deaf and hard of hearing children. Detroit Day School for the Deaf was the first publicly supported school for the Deaf in the country, attesting to the humanitarianism of the Detroit Community. At the current site since 1970, the school campus is ideally located at the John C. Lodge Service Drive and Forest, providing easy access for parents and students in the metropolitan Detroit area. The new Detroit Public Schools Hearing and Speech Center is adjacent to the Detroit Day School for the Deaf. The school is also close to the Medical Center, other area hospitals, Wayne State University, community service organizations and the heart of Detroit's cultural area, providing multiple enrichment opportunities for the school curriculum within walking distance or a short bus ride.
At Detroit Day School for the Deaf, students learn in a positive atmosphere that is rich with history and culture. The program provides a “full communication access environment” meaning that to the greatest extent possible, students can communicate with all staff in the building either orally or through sign language, or both, depending on the child’s ability and preferred mode of communication.
The program prepares students to be functioning deaf or hard of hearing adults, equipped with self-advocacy skills who promote deaf pride and responsibility. Students have access to the regular academic curriculum modified to meet their needs, with specialized focus on literacy and communication skills as well as everyday living strategies such as handling money, public transportation, homemaking, appropriate decision-making, and other practical life skills.
Mission
At the Detroit Day School for the Deaf, the administrator, teachers, and support staff all embrace the mission of maximizing the human potential of every child while recognizing the unique and complex communication needs of The Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Our program is committed to educating and empowering students who are able to communicate and function successfully in both hearing and deaf communities, who are self reliant, confident, and proud of their Deaf heritage. We strive to develop character in our students and provide them with the strategies for self discipline and motivation.
