The school district has special programs for deaf and hard of hearing students at three of its buildings: Bache-Martin Elementary, and Hancock Elementary and Lincoln High School. There are also teachers who move from building to building, says the district's Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson.
It was the district's first Deaf and Hard of Hearing Expo. Two dozen tables were set up at school headquarters, where students could learn about community services, hearing aids and captioning devices. It was also an opportunity for students to discover help inside and outside school.
District sign language interpreter Thea Tynes says perhaps the most popular table was the one for Gallaudet University.
"But when they came to Gallaudet, the crowd was amazing. People were signing up — 'There's a college! There's a college for me! There's a college for deaf people!' And every one of them signed that paper," Tynes said.
There are about 500 deaf or hard of hearing students in Philadelphia schools.