The Jersey City Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program at Martin Luther King, Jr. School PS #11 has quietly become one of the city’s most important educational lifelines. It offers deaf and hard of hearing students a rare mix of specialized instruction, inclusive school culture, and a real sense of community—while reflecting the linguistic diversity that shapes Jersey City.
A Specialized Program with Deep Roots in Jersey City
The DHH Program didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. It’s served students for decades, starting at PS #27 and moving to PS #11 four years ago.
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That move meant more than just a new building. It kicked off a new era of growth and visibility for deaf education in Jersey City.
Today, the program supports 13 students in four self-contained classes from PreK through middle school. Sure, those numbers look small in a school packed with hundreds of kids, but the impact goes way beyond the headcount.
DHH classrooms feel like a tight-knit community. Students still join in fully with the rest of the school.
Integration into Everyday School Life
DHH students don’t get boxed in. They join hearing peers for specials, lunch, recess, and school-wide events.
This blended approach gives them individualized instruction but also real social experiences. Friendships, confidence, communication skills—they build them in the thick of everyday school life.
The staff includes five dedicated teachers of the deaf. There’s also an itinerant teacher who helps students elsewhere in the district, a deaf paraprofessional who brings both linguistic and cultural perspective, and the district’s only bilingual ASL speech therapist.
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That last role is huge in a city where many families speak more than one language.
Meeting the Needs of a Multilingual, Multicultural City
Jersey City has over 12,000 deaf and hard of hearing residents. That’s a big number, and it really shows how much the city needs accessibility/”>strong services across ages and neighborhoods.
Many of the program’s families are hearing and juggling life in multilingual households—English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, you name it.
For them, helping a deaf or hard of hearing child communicate can feel overwhelming at times. The DHH Program steps in by offering a flexible, student-centered approach.
Total Communication: Sign, Speech, or Both
The program doesn’t force everyone into the same mold. Instead, it uses a total communication philosophy.
Students can use sign language, spoken language, or a mix—whatever works best for them. This approach lets kids grow as learners and as confident communicators.
Staff across the school get weekly sign language lessons. Hallways show off sign-language posters, making ASL a visible, everyday thing and sparking curiosity among hearing students.
A student-led Sign Club gives peers a chance to learn and practice signs together. The whole building turns into a living language lab where communication barriers start to crumble.
Community Partnerships and Role Models
The program’s reach goes beyond the classroom. Community partnerships make a real difference.
Alumni and deaf role models return regularly to mentor current students. They show, in a way that’s hard to miss, that deafness isn’t a limitation—it’s a part of who you are.
One standout is program graduate Thyson Halley, who comes back each year to connect with students. His presence gives younger kids something they need: a successful adult who sat where they’re sitting now, facing similar challenges and possibilities.
Signature Events and a Long-Term Vision
Several signature initiatives have helped shape the DHH Program’s identity and goals:
The hope is to build a fully realized PreK–12 pathway for deaf and hard of hearing students within Jersey City Public Schools. That way, families won’t have to look elsewhere for the services their kids deserve.
What This Means for Jersey City—and Visitors
Programs like this DHH initiative shape our city districts not just by geography, but by how they serve residents of all abilities and backgrounds. For Jersey City, investing in deaf education shows a wider commitment to inclusion, equity, and a multilingual community life.
Visitors come here for weekend getaways, to explore the waterfront, or to check out local arts and dining. They’ll also notice that Jersey City takes accessibility and inclusive education seriously—something that says a lot about a community’s health, even if it doesn’t always get attention.
If you’re researching schools before a move or checking out Jersey City hotels, you’ll see that a strong DHH Program signals a city investing in all its children. For families thinking about getting to Jersey City for specialized services, PS #11’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program really stands out as a model of what an inclusive urban school can be.
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Here is the source article for this story: Jersey City Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program bridges the gap
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