History of ASL and Deaf Education in America

philosophy of oral method

with enough practice every deaf person can learn to speak

American Sign Language origin

a blend of French sign language, Martha's Vineyard sign language, and native sign language

"We still have a dream."

rallying cry during DPN

I. King Jordan

the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University in 1988.

manual method

using signed language to teach deaf children

Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons

American School for the Deaf

ASL

American Sign Language

Mainstreaming

Integrating students with disabilities or special needs into the overall public educational program.

Oralism Pros

Interact with hearing world through speaking

Deaf President Now

1988 student protest at Gallaudet University; empowered Deaf people, Deaf community a cultural minority

Laurent Clerc

(1785 - 1869) French Deaf Man - First teacher of the Deaf and first Deaf teacher in U.S.

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

(1787 - 1851) Lawyer turned clergyman (preacher); Founded 1st Deaf School in US

Braidwood

(1800s) School for deaf students in London that promotes oralism for those who paid. Their school in the US failed (1815, Virginia).

Colonel William Bolling

(1815) Wanted to start a school for his deaf children

Cobbs, VA

(1815-1816) location of the first school for the deaf in America - failed

Hartford, CT

(1817) First School for the Deaf in the US founded here

VSDB (Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind)

(1839) the first school in US to serve both deaf and blind students; located in Staunton, VA

Alexander Graham Bell

(1850s) Promoted speech reading and oralism. Did not want deaf people to marry one another.

Milan Conference

(1880) International meeting of teachers of the deaf that changed teaching from manualism to oralism around the world

William Stokoe

(1960s) Defined ASL as a language

Mason Fitch Cogswell

(in 1816) Alice's father, funded Gallaudet's expedition

Number of deaf teachers NOW

10 percent

Golden Age of Deaf Education

1817 - 1880

Residential School Stats

1880 = 40% deaf teachers 1890 = 25% deaf teachers

Dark Ages of Deaf Education

1880-1970

Deaf Community

A group of individuals who share cultural similarities in language (ASL), mores, traditions and values - acknowledged as a cultural minority in the late 1980's

American most disliked by deaf people in the US

Alexander Graham Bell

Dark Age of Deaf Education results

Deaf teachers lost jobs, loss of Deaf role models, oralism adopted as mode for teaching Deaf children, sign language (manual education) was prohibited

Residential School Cons

Far from family, few options, mostly vocational training

Washington D.C.

Gallaudet University (1864); charter signed by Abraham Lincoln

Martha's Vineyard, MA

Isolated community in which close breeding expressed the recessive trait of deafness resulting in a whole island signing

known as the Apostle of the Deaf in America

Laurent Clerc

Oralism Cons

Less education and too much focus on speech, reduction in access to communication for deaf students, success rate for deaf students dropped

MCE

Manually Coded English

Golden Age of Deaf Education results

Many schools for the Deaf were founded, many teachers of the deaf were Deaf (~40%), many Deaf role models for Deaf children, Deaf children were no longer isolated as they formed a community, free and open access to information and communication through the use of sign language (especially in education)

NTID

National Technical Institute for the Deaf located on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), New York

PSE

Pidgin Signed English (mixed)

Residential School Pros

Promote education, access to communication, Deaf community, deaf culture, spread ASL, equality, and Deaf role models

Elizabeth Zinzer

hearing person who knew no signs who became president of Gallaudet over 2 Deaf candidates in 1988