Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech (formerly Clarke School for the Deaf) is a national nonprofit organization that specializes in educating children who are deaf or hard of hearing using listening and spoken language (oralism) through the assistance of hearing technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. Clarke's five campuses serve more than 1,000 students annually in Canton, Massachusetts, Jacksonville, Florida, New York City, Northampton, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Clarke is the first and largest organization of its kind in the U.S. Its Northampton campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Introduction

Clarke School for the Deaf was founded in 1867 in Northampton, Massachusetts, as the first permanent oral school for the deaf in the United States. In the first quarter of 2010, Clarke announced the new name from Clarke School for the Deaf to Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. While Clarke Northampton made the decision to end their residential & mainstream programs in 2024, Clarke Boston, Clarke Florida, Clarke New York, and Clarke Philadelphia all continue to operate their schools for the deaf. In the present day, Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech operates from five locations:

Media

In 2007, Clarke School was featured in the PBS documentary, "Through Deaf Eyes" produced by Larry Hott. The documentary depicted deafness and Deaf culture in the United States and the choices parents face between sign language and oral language.

Abuse

Clarke School admitted and apologized for the extreme abuse carried out against Deaf students back when the school had a residential program. Molestations were reported, Jewish students were forced to attend church, and teachers used methods of corporal punishment that were considered extreme even by the standards of the time on students whose speech did not satisfy their hearing teachers. Clarke School has since apologized for her abuse.

Notable people