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