Agency Histories

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) has been serving students with sensory impairments throughout Utah for over 100 years! The schools began in 1884 by the Territorial Legislature after a message from Governor Eli Murray which emphasized the need for a school for the deaf. Twelve years later in 1896, as Utah attained statehood, the members of the Constitutional Convention created the school for the blind. Recognizing the appropriateness of services for both visually and hearing impaired individuals, Utah's first lawmakers established the "Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind." USDB was given their first home at Ogden's old Territorial Reform School.