Who We Are

Texas School for the Deaf Foundation

In 2000, Texas School for the Deaf Foundation (TSDF) was founded by a small group of dedicated individuals who wanted to enrich the programming made available to the children and families served by the Texas School for the Deaf. The goal was to augment TSD’s already excellent curriculum by providing new educational opportunities and resources that would deepen the language skills and broaden the possibilities for the deaf population of Texas. Today, TSDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a volunteer board of directors that sets the direction for the organization and monitors financial and operational performance. Our board is a cross-section of citizens who serve as TSDF’s ambassadors to other agencies, funders, prospective donors and the general community with the goal of supporting Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) and its statewide partners in education.

Texas School for the Deaf

Founded in 1856, the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) is the oldest continuously operated public school in Texas and has shaped the lives of the deaf population across our state for almost 160 years, providing a unique education designed to meet the specific abilities and needs of each student, while also creating a community with a shared culture that instills pride and confidence and strengthens identities. With an innovative and nationally recognized educational program that is used as a model for deaf and hard-of-hearing education across the country, the TSD tradition continues today with more than 550 students annually enrolled on the Austin campus who benefit from TSD’s parent-infant program, early childhood education, elementary, middle school, high school and special needs programs; career and technology education; as well as programs for high school graduates who are eligible for services through age 21. Additionally, through its outreach programs, TSD provides technical assistance and special programs to 7,000 students statewide, as well as parents and professionals.

TSD_All_About_Me_Web

Watch the above video, “It’s All About Me,” to learn what TSD students think makes TSD so special!

To learn even more about TSD, check out their website.

TSD Statistics

  • Located in Austin, Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) was founded in 1856 and is the oldest continuously operated public school in Texas.
  • It is estimated that there are approximately 7,000 children who are deaf or hard of hearing across the state of Texas.
  • TSD serves children and students from birth to 22 years of age.
  • TSD’s faculty and staff of more than 200 dedicated deaf education professionals directly serve approximately 1,000 children on the Austin campus via comprehensive education and residential programs: more than 550 students during the school year and 450 during summer programs.
  • Through its statewide outreach programs, TSD provides education resources to the remaining 6,000 children who are deaf and hard of hearing in Texas, as well as technical assistance, training, consultation, online resources, and distance learning opportunities to their parents, teachers, and professionals who serve them.
  • Average admission age is 14 and the student has generally not been exposed to communication-rich environments prior to attending TSD.
  • In 2014, 67% of TSD’s graduates were accepted to post-secondary education programs.
  • 47% of TSD’s students live on campus, while the remaining 53% attend as day students.
  • 52% of TSD’s students are challenged by other disabilities in addition to deafness, including cognitive disabilities, vision impairments, medical and health issues, autistic spectrum disorders, and emotional and behavioral disorders.
  • Approximately 20% of the state’s deaf population lives in the Austin area, largely due to the school, services available for deaf and hard of hearing, and a supportive community of families, interpreters and friends of deaf individuals.

Your Support Matters

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Everyone at TSDF is dedicated to helping the children of Texas who are deaf and hard of hearing to learn, grow and belong, so they can each reach their own unique potential.

We work to give them the education they deserve by funding programs and providing resources that will help them all become active, engaged and productive members of their community.

Won’t You Join Us!