Visions Academy - School for the Deaf
Hawassa, Sidama Region
As we continued to identify and build a community of deaf people living in southern Ethiopia, a clear need arose in recent years to better respond to the evolving needs of the local deaf community by establishing a formal school for the deaf in which students are not marginalized, neglected, or set up to fail in a system not designed for them, and in which teachers / staff, programs, and curriculum are made accessible in formal Ethiopian Sign Language and with special consideration for the learning strategies that best serve children with hearing loss.
As the first school for deaf and hard-of-hearing (HoH) children in Hawassa, the 5th largest city in the country, the Visions Academy School for the Deaf opened with great excitement in October 2023 with an inaugural class of 44 students spanning Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2! Over time, we intend to expand our school by reaching all the way up to Grade 12 and serving hundreds of children from communities throughout the region. While most of our students are deaf or hard-of-hearing, we also serve hearing children of deaf adults (“CODAs”), nonverbal students, and other hearing children with a special interest in or connection to deafness (ie: they have a deaf sibling or family member).
Following the national academic calendar, which typically runs from September / October through June annually, we offer instruction in Mathematics, Science, Amharic, English, Ethiopian Sign Language, and Physical Education. We have big dreams for the future and invite you to join us in making the Visions Academy School for the Deaf an exceptional place for deaf youth and others to learn, lead healthy lives, and realize their full potential!
Our staff & team
Developing crucial technology skills
1st KG graduating class (2024)
1st annual Visions Academy Carnival
Enthusiastic students!
Field trip - boat tour of Lake Hawassa
Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony 2024
