Deaf Education History

1.Describe the history of the establishment of deaf education in the U.S from 1816 to present.

The establishment of education in the U.S since 1816 to now has been a huge success. Thomas Hopkin Gallaudet was the Co-founder for the first institution for the deaf in the United States and was the school’s first principle. Laurent Clerc was also a co-founder in the first school for the deaf and was the first deaf teacher. Before the establishment of Gallaudet University in Washington D.C in 1864, there were residential schools that deaf students could attend. These residential schools were for students to attend for a week with other deaf students and earn an education. The students lived on campus in dorms while being there for the week. In the

The American School for the deaf was built in 1817 by Laurent Clerc and Thomas Gallaudet, where sign language was used to teach and is still open today. In the mid-1800s there was approximately 30 schools for the deaf and more than 40% of the teachers were deaf. In the 1900s, deaf education in the United States has changed drastically. There were more deaf teachers, and more deaf school were teaching oral methods which taught students English, vocal speech, and lip reading. Gallaudet University finally had a deaf president, more deaf teachers, and because of that, the pursue for deaf students to earn doctorate degrees increased. Roy K. Holcomb stated the term, “Total communication” meaning teaching what works best for the child and to learn to sign and speak. Now in year 2015, there are

Deaf people view themselves as a culture group, with their own language, life, and cultural experiences. Their lack of hearing is no different than skin color or even height. Their deafness is just a unique quality about them that is different, but unites deaf people as a community. Cochlear implants were developed with the right intentions, but many deaf people see it as an attack and that hearing people are trying to “fix” them so they feel “normal”. Some deaf people feel that if they do get a cochlear implant, they won’t have that sense of belonging to the deaf culture anymore and that people will now associate them with the hearing community. Deaf people are also opposed to cochlear implants because they feel they were born into the deaf culture and that’s where their meant to be and by getting a cochlear implant, they will feel as if they are trying to change themselves to fit into the majority population.

3.Compare the definitions of “hearing” “hard of hearing” and “deaf” from a deaf culture perspective and medical/ auditory