Deaf Education Research Paper

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to teach in a classroom full of deaf students? How would you communicate? What would you teach? This is something you would have to think about when considering a career choice in teaching. As future or current educators, it is important to think about the history of deaf education. Where did it come from? How did it start? It’s also important to know the current issues revolving deaf education and how we, as educators, may be able to help correct those issues. Before the 1860’s, the deaf schools in America would use manual-based instruction. This means that the instructor and school staff would sign with their deaf students. The schools were concerned with the students’ ability to

(Hill) Most of the deaf instructors were replaced by hearing instructors to nurture students’ speech and residual hearing abilities. It also changed that the schools starting focusing more on oral communication skills rather than subject matter. Oral skills are not usually very useful for communication among deaf people and the use of the oral method practically bars the deaf from careers as teachers. The American School for the Deaf tried out students in oral classes first, and if they did not succeed, they put them in manual classes. (Asd-1817.org) Academic expectations for deaf students were lowered because they did not learn at the same rate as their hearing peers. After several years of poor performance in reading, writing, and academic subjects, some educators realized that deaf students needed to communicate visually in order to learn well.

The Indiana School for the Deaf is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. William Willard, who taught at the Ohio School for the Deaf, traveled to Indianapolis in May 1843. He presented to the General Assembly that he wanted to open a school for the deaf in Indianapolis. On October 1, 1843 the Willard School opened with twelve students. The school did very well and in December the state passed a law that established the Willard school as a state institution. In January, it became the sixth state school for the Deaf in the nation and the first state school to provide free education to deaf students. Today, the Indiana School for the Deaf is a fully accredited school and a national resource center.