Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind

What Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind does

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) is a Utah state government education agency, established in 1884 and governed by the Utah State Board of Education, that provides specialized public education services to students who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind, or low vision from birth through age 21. The organization operates four main campuses — Kenneth Burdett School in Ogden (headquarters), Jean Massieu School in Salt Lake City, Elizabeth DeLong School in Springville, and Southern Utah School of the Deaf in St. George — plus a classroom in Price, serving more than 400 students on campuses and approximately 1,700 additional students via statewide outreach embedded in local school districts, with more than 7,000 total service touchpoints across Utah. USDB holds the only deaf-blind endorsement in the State of Utah and offers multiple communication modalities including ASL/English bilingual education, Listening and Spoken Language, Total Communication, and early intervention via the Parent Infant Program.

USDB's core educational programs include the Utah School for the Deaf (USD) campus programs, the Parent Infant Program for birth-to-age-3 home-based services, ASL/English Bilingual Education, Listening and Spoken Language, and Statewide Outreach Services. Supporting add-on services encompass Audiological Services, Educational Interpreting, Assistive Technology, USIMAC (Utah State Instructional Materials Access Center, which produces Braille, large print, audio, and digital materials), the Library/Educational Resource Center, Psychology and Social Work Services, the STEP residential transition program for ages 16-21, and USD Online Learning — an asynchronous and synchronous platform for grades 8-12. The underlying technology platform is teleintervention, distant interpreting, and USD Online, which together enable service delivery to rural Utah students without physical campus expansion. The organization earned CEASD Full Accreditation in February 2024 and ranks #1 nationwide in high school completion rates for deaf students.

USDB is funded entirely through Utah state education appropriations, federal grants (including ARP ESSER III), and School Land Trust distributions; services are free to eligible families and there is no tuition revenue. The go-to-market motion is effectively referral-driven: local education agencies convene IEP or 504 Plan meetings and may invite USDB to participate in placement discussions, after which USDB delivers services either on its own campuses or via outreach teachers embedded in the student's neighborhood school district. Customer segments are organized vertically by disability category (deaf/hard-of-hearing, blind/visually impaired, deafblind) plus families and Utah LEAs as supporting segments. USDB does not operate as a commercial enterprise and has no private equity, venture funding, or IPO trajectory; expansion is constrained by state appropriations and demographic trends in Utah's sensory-impaired child population.

Name

Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind

Legal name

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

Website

https://usdb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

USDB is a Utah state government education agency, founded in 1884 and governed by the Utah State Board of Education, that provides free specialized public education from birth through age 21 to students who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind, or low vision across four campuses and statewide outreach services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Classroom Support Platforms (EDAFAKAI), Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services (EDAGAKAJ), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM)

Keywords

• Deaf education services
• Blind education services
• Special education programs
• Deafblind services
• Assistive technology education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ogden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: USDB is a state public education agency funded through state and federal education funding. Services provided through public education are free to families. Deaf and Hard of Hearing services provided through USDB are free. Eligibility is determined through vision or hearing diagnosis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB) is a state public education agency that delivers comprehensive educational services, from birth through age 21, to students who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind, or low vision. Services span ASL/English Bilingual Education, Listening and Spoken Language programs, early intervention, statewide outreach to local school districts, online learning, residential transition programs, and accessible instructional materials, all provided free of charge to eligible students and families.

Product overview

Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB) is a state educational agency providing comprehensive educational services for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind, or low vision across Utah. The organization operates a multi-campus system (Deaf School) including Jean Massieu School (Salt Lake City), Kenneth Burdett School (Ogden), Elizabeth DeLong School (Springville), and Southern Utah School of the Deaf (St. George), serving over 2,000 students statewide with more than 7,000 services provided. USDB's core offerings include ASL/English Bilingual education, Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) programs, Parent Infant Program (birth to age 3), statewide outreach services, and online learning. Supporting services include audiological services, interpreting services, assistive technology, Deafblind Services, USIMAC (instructional materials in accessible formats), library/educational resource center, psychology services, residential transition programs, and athletics/extracurricular activities. The organization collaborates with local school districts throughout Utah, with approximately 400 students on campuses and the majority served through outreach programs in their neighborhood schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Utah School for the Deaf (USD) - Campus Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• #1 nationwide in high school completion rates for deaf students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Utah Local Education Agencies (Districts)coreOthersUSDB collaborates with Utah school districts and charter schools to provide supports to students across the entire State of Utah. Districts refer students through IEP/504 meetings and collaborate on educational planning.
• Baby Watch Early InterventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIP program works in collaboration with Utah's Baby Watch Early Intervention system for early identification and services for children with hearing loss. Referrals for the Parent Infant Program come through Baby Watch.
• Utah School Districts and Charter SchoolscoreOthersUSD partners with local school districts to provide support to students in all areas of the state. Outreach services include one-on-one instruction, pull-out intervention, push-in intervention, auditory-verbal therapy, speech, and ASL specific training.
• Ogden-Weber Technical College (OTECH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-high school students can access employment training at OTECH where they can work toward trade certificates as part of the transition program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gallaudet University: Washington D.C. federally chartered university serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students at the post-secondary level. Broader incumbent serving the same deaf community across the education pipeline but focused on higher education rather than K-12.

Direct peers

• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech: Network of schools serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students focused on Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) methodology. Comparable to USDB's LSL program within USD on communication modality and early intervention services.
• Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Austin-based Texas state school serving blind, deafblind, and visually impaired students statewide through on-campus and outreach programs. Comparable to USB in its statewide outreach and deafblind services focus.
• California School for the Blind: Fremont, California state school serving blind and visually impaired K-12 students with statewide outreach and assessment services. Directly comparable to USDB's Utah School for the Blind in mission and operating model.
• Texas School for the Deaf: Texas state school for deaf students in Austin, serving as both a day and residential school with statewide outreach services. Comparable to USDB's USD division in mission, structure, and public funding model.
• Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf: Faribault, Minnesota state residential school serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students with statewide outreach. Comparable to USDB's USD campus programs and state-funded education model.
• Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind: St. Augustine, Florida state school serving both deaf and blind students from birth through grade 12, with statewide outreach. Closest analog to USDB's combined deaf-and-blind organizational model.
• California School for the Deaf: State-funded K-12 school for deaf/hard-of-hearing students operating campuses in Fremont and Riverside, California. Directly comparable to USDB as a public residential and day school for deaf students with multiple campuses and statewide outreach.
• American School for the Deaf: Connecticut-based historic school for the deaf (founded 1817) serving students across New England, with residential and day programs. Comparable to USD on deaf education methodology and multi-modal communication philosophy.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Massachusetts-based school for blind and deafblind students, providing day, residential, and outreach services. Comparable to USDB's USB division on specialized vision-loss education and assistive technology services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/utschoolsdb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@utahschoolsforthedeafandth2143
• Facebookfacebook.com/UtahSchoolsfortheDeafandtheBlind
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/utah-schools-for-the-deaf-and-the-blind-usdb-a4417b1b3
• Instagraminstagram.com/utahschoolsdeafblind

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind