mybabyadmin

American Sign Language and Technology: A Time Line of Deaf Education

Martha’s Vineyard 1690-1880

The families in this community carried dominant and recessive genes for deafness. The birth rate for deaf children: 1 in 155 on the island In some villages as high as 1 in 25 and 1 in 4 (compared to the national average of 1 in 1000). By the mid-1700’s a sign language (not ASL yet) had developed on the island, used by deaf and hearing islanders.

The First U.S. School for the Deaf

The American School for the Deaf was established in Hartford CT in 1817. Deaf children from Martha’s Vineyard went to be educated, bringing with them their Island signs. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (American Minister) and Laurent Clerc (French, Deaf teacher of the Deaf) opened the school together after Galluadet’s visit to France. Laurent Clerc helped to establish American Sign Language (ASL) through a combination of Island signs and the already established French Sign Language.

Schools for Deaf Students Spread Throughout the US

1818 – New York School for the Deaf established; 1820 – Pennsylvania School for the Deaf; 1823 – Kentucky School for the Deaf; 1829 – Ohio School for the Deaf; 1839 – Virginia School for the Deaf; 1843-1912 – More than 30 schools for the Deaf were established by Deaf and hearing teachers from the American School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College, including schools in Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas.

“Golden Age of Deaf Education” 1840 – 1912

American Sign Language flourished during this time. Approximately 40% of all teachers in schools for Deaf students were Deaf themselves.

1864 – Galluadet College opened in Washington DC, the first and only 4 year college servicing Deaf students. Edward Miner Gallaudet (T.H. Gallaudet’s son) was the 1st president.

1867 – Lexington School opened in New York City, becoming the first pure oral school in the country. Clarke School soon followed in Northampton, Maine and later in NYC. The Clarke School still educates deaf students via the Oral-Only method. Lexington eventually incorporated ASL into the school and offers a total communication setting for students (sign, speech, body language, etc.).

The Rise of Oral Education 1870s – 1890s

Bell’s Deaf School: 1872, Alexander Graham Bell opened a school focusing on Oral Education for the Deaf. His mother was hard of hearing and his father promoted a teaching method for the deaf called “visible speech.” Bell was unsuccessful due to opposition from the deaf schools, which were strongly promoting manual education at this time.

Bell’s Success: 1876, Bell invented the telephone. Now armed with enormous wealth and prestigious recognition, he opened the Volta Bureau, promoting oral-based education.

In the 1880s, at the Milan Conference, Oral Education was pronounced superior to Manual Education. The only country opposing the vote was the United States, where manual education had made great strides. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was founded in the US, and instrumental in keeping manual education /sign language alive.

New Technology Developed:

1892 – electric hearing aid (some sources say 1901); 1964 – TTY (left); 1970s – FM units; 1985 – cochlear implants; 1976 – 2006 – closed captioning.

2013 http://launch.it/launch/hearing-loss-no-more-a-baseball-cap-that-renews-hope-for-millions?goback=%2Egde_4302145_member_5806433179048910850#%21

Variety of hearing aids and cochlear implant device.

Additional Facts:

1901 American League baseball’s first grand slam, thanks to Deaf player William Hoy, who is credited for umpires developing hand signals so Hoy could “listen” from the outfield. 1927 rise of Oralism; only 15% of teachers are deaf. 1960 William Stoke wrote book supporting ASL and defending it as a language. 1972 IDEA ensured all students with disabilities would have free and appropriate education; 1990 the law was re-adopted, including Least Restrictive Environment – this had a negative effect on the success of Deaf schools due to increased mainstreaming.

Current Trends in Deaf Education

Bilingual-bicultural Education: deafness is seen as a cultural rather than medical issue. ASL is taught as the 1st language; English is seen as equally important and taught for reading/writing skill development; for some also a 2nd “spoken” language.

Auditory-oral & Auditory-verbal Education: based on the belief that deaf children can learn to listen and speak; families don’t need sign language.

Mainstreaming & Inclusion: Deaf children attend public schools with part or all day in an integrated class. Support services are provided (itinerant teacher, interpreter).

Helpful Resources

National Association of the Deaf- www.nad.org