History of Gallaudet University
In the Summer Meetings by American Association To Promote Teaching Of The Deaf in 1891, the secretary of the meetings began the dialogue by announcing, "Many of the members present can recall the time when no articulation teachers were employed in this country, and when all our deaf children were allowed to grow up as "deaf and dumb." In the year 1867, three oral schools sprang into existence, and since that time articulation teaching has assumed importance in the United States."[1] Alexander Bell's highly advertised oral method had taken great strides in the US and the public rhetoric was highly supportive of his methods of instruction. However, before the oral method was formally introduced into the US, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet had introduced a structured and learning tool for the deaf in sign language to the U.S.
The first step to creating institutions for the education of deaf individuals in the United States was separating those who were “deaf” and those who were “dumb.” In the early 19th century, it was a fine line between the both leading Gallaudet University, one of the first institutions to open for deaf learning to be named, the “Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind.”
Gallaudet University vastly differed from the methods of teaching Alexander G. Bell advocated for. The methodology taught in their college was primarily concerned with manual signs for communication instead of attempting to read lips and become vocal. Prior to the creation of the Gallaudet University, deaf individuals in the US had no legal or moral standing in society. According to Margaret A. Winzer in her work The History of Special Education: From Isolation to Integration, “Legal mandates denied them basic civil liberties; theology canons excluded them from church membership; and philosophy pronounced them incapable of mental or moral improvement.”[2] Furthermore, there only opportunity to change their standing as second class citizens was to go overseas and learn French sign language, which at the time was still in its early stages and only affordable to the rich.
For deaf individuals, Gallaudet University provided a beacon of hope that they could integrate into society as fully contributing members of society. As according to Jack Gannon in his work Deaf Heritage: a Narrative History of Deaf America, "Gallaudet has long been a Mecca for deaf and hearing-impaired people. The world deaf community looks to Gallaudet for leadership, for innovation, for hope, and inspiration." [3] Deaf teaching took great strides under Edward Miner Gallaudet, the son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet who founded the first institution for deaf learning in America. Sign language was embraced with open arms by the Protestant Church for their ability to comprehend the Lord's word.
When Thomas Hopkins brought over Laurent Clerc from a French institution sign language had already been attempted according to Harry G. Lang "the gestures and signs used by deaf people in the various American colonies and the French signs brought to America by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc likely merged with the various existing sign language varieties, especially those brought to the school by the first students."[3] The Gallaudet University essentially refined and universalized the sign language in the US.
The first step to creating institutions for the education of deaf individuals in the United States was separating those who were “deaf” and those who were “dumb.” In the early 19th century, it was a fine line between the both leading Gallaudet University, one of the first institutions to open for deaf learning to be named, the “Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind.”
Gallaudet University vastly differed from the methods of teaching Alexander G. Bell advocated for. The methodology taught in their college was primarily concerned with manual signs for communication instead of attempting to read lips and become vocal. Prior to the creation of the Gallaudet University, deaf individuals in the US had no legal or moral standing in society. According to Margaret A. Winzer in her work The History of Special Education: From Isolation to Integration, “Legal mandates denied them basic civil liberties; theology canons excluded them from church membership; and philosophy pronounced them incapable of mental or moral improvement.”[2] Furthermore, there only opportunity to change their standing as second class citizens was to go overseas and learn French sign language, which at the time was still in its early stages and only affordable to the rich.
For deaf individuals, Gallaudet University provided a beacon of hope that they could integrate into society as fully contributing members of society. As according to Jack Gannon in his work Deaf Heritage: a Narrative History of Deaf America, "Gallaudet has long been a Mecca for deaf and hearing-impaired people. The world deaf community looks to Gallaudet for leadership, for innovation, for hope, and inspiration." [3] Deaf teaching took great strides under Edward Miner Gallaudet, the son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet who founded the first institution for deaf learning in America. Sign language was embraced with open arms by the Protestant Church for their ability to comprehend the Lord's word.
When Thomas Hopkins brought over Laurent Clerc from a French institution sign language had already been attempted according to Harry G. Lang "the gestures and signs used by deaf people in the various American colonies and the French signs brought to America by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc likely merged with the various existing sign language varieties, especially those brought to the school by the first students."[3] The Gallaudet University essentially refined and universalized the sign language in the US.