Texas School for the Deaf Breaks Ground on New ACCESS Community

Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) broke ground on a new residence hall and classroom expansion for its ACCESS program, marking a major milestone in a project that’s been in the works for two years. The new facilities will create a connected community where ACCESS students can live, learn, and build the skills they need for life beyond TSD.

The ACCESS program serves young adults aged 18 to 22 who have completed high school and are preparing for greater independence. Students develop employment skills, practice daily living routines, and gain experience designed to help them transition successfully into work and life beyond school.

Until now, ACCESS students have lived in separate locations across the TSD campus. The project will bring them together in a new apartment-style residence hall connected to an expansion of the existing Kleberg building, creating a neighborhood designed around the ways Deaf students live, learn, and communicate.

“The ACCESS program is for students who have completed their high school criteria and are now training for independent living,” said Peter Bailey, Superintendent of Texas School for the Deaf. “Living together in these buildings will prepare them for their journey beyond TSD — to live independently, to go to work, and to build a life for themselves. This is the moment where years of planning finally becomes visible progress.”

The project incorporates Deaf Space design principles throughout, with careful attention to sightlines, lighting, circulation, gathering areas, and other elements that support visual communication and connection. Students, Deaf educators, staff, and Deaf Space consultants worked alongside the design team for two years to help shape the environment around the people who will use it every day.

In addition to the new residence hall, the Kleberg expansion will add classrooms, a wood shop, and other skill-based instructional spaces, while teaching kitchens and shared gathering areas will connect the residential and learning environments. ACCESS students are also contributing directly to the character of their future home, including designing murals planned for the exterior of each building.

Funded with support from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Facilities Commission, construction is expected to take approximately two years, with move-in targeted for the 2028–29 school year.

Construction will be carefully managed within the historic, active campus to minimize disruption while TSD continues serving students, educators, and families throughout the project.

“As we begin construction, our focus starts with the students and the community this campus serves,” said Rich Maynard, Project Director at Flintco. “Texas School for the Deaf has been part of this community for 170 years, and our responsibility is to deliver these new spaces while keeping the campus operating safely and effectively every day. We’re proud to be part of a project that will have such a meaningful role in preparing ACCESS students for what comes next.”

This project marks the start of a community designed specifically for this next stage of their lives—a place to learn, live together, and build the confidence and skills they will carry with them beyond TSD.