Education Styles & Issues for Deaf/HoH People
Education for the Deaf is one of the most hotly debated issues of all time, in and out of the Deaf community. In contrast to the "Baby Boomer", "Generation X", "Generation Y" type categories that have emerged in hearing society, within the Deaf community, different generations are identified by the education style that was in use during their schooling, as teachers and parents tried to work out what was the best method to educate deaf children.
Inadvertently, many Deaf students were (and are) probably disadvantaged because their schools were set up around the communication method being used (such as oralism, sign language, Cued Speech and bi-lingualism), rather than focusing on the philosophy and practice of the actual education and whether the Deaf students are learning appropriately. As a result, there are gaps in the research and practice of Deaf Education all over the world.
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2.1 Native Sign Language
2.2 Constructed Sign Systems 2.3 Oral/Auditory-Verbal 2.4 Bilingual-Bicultural 2.5 Total Communication |
[Edit]1 Resources for Teaching Deaf
[Edit]1.1 Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
Susan Ashley is an Australian Teacher of the Deaf who collects and collates many resources as part of her work and her hobby. She has a blog where she reviews resources available in Auslan, ASL and English, Auslan Resources
(http://auslan-resources.blogspot.com/)
[Edit]2 Communication Modes in Deaf Education
[Edit]2.1 Native Sign Language
[Edit]2.2 Constructed Sign Systems
[Edit]2.3 Oral/Auditory-Verbal
[Edit]2.3.1 Deaf Schools
[Edit]2.3.2 Mainstreaming
[Edit]2.4 Bilingual-Bicultural
In many western nations, Deaf education has moved towards a bilingual-bicultural model, in recognition of native sign languages AS languages, and in recognition of the existence and pervasiveness of Deaf culture.
In Australia, Queensland has been the last state to move to a mode of communication in Auslan, and the reasons for the move, and an explanation of the resources needed to achieve it can be accessed at the Education Queensland website (http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/staff/workshops/auslan.html).
[Edit]2.5 Total Communication
[Edit]3 History of Deaf Education in America & Europe
France's early history had schools for Deaf boys only. Deaf girls were not admitted to school then.
[Edit]3.1 Notable education figures
[Edit]3.1.1 Abbe De L' Eppee
Priest and 'father of the deaf'. He established the first public school for the Deaf in the world, the Institut National des Jeune Sourds-Muets.
[Edit]3.1.2 Abbe Sicard
Another priest who was a teacher of the Deaf and used a method of signing.
[Edit]3.1.3 Thomas Gallaudet
Co-founder with Laurent Clerc, of the American School for the Deaf, that was established in 1817 in Connecticut. Gallaudet University is named after him.
[Edit]3.1.4 Laurent Clerc
Co-founder with Thomas Gallaudet oif the American School for the Deaf. A new planned town for signing citizens in South Dakota is named 'Laurent' after him (www.laurentsd.com)
[Edit]3.2 The Milan Congress 1880
Brought about a ban of sign language world-wide. Almost overnight, Deaf teachers for the Deaf were removed from teaching, and Deaf children were taught using the oralism method.
[Edit]4 Deaf Education in Third World Countries
[Edit]4.1 Cambodia
In Cambodia, until 1996, there was no sign language, and no formal education for Deaf children. There are many reasons for this, including isolation of deaf people, social and financial. One of the most striking reasons is that because Cambodians are primarily Buddhist, they associate disability with bad Karma, and the resulting conclusion is that those with a disability have deserved their condition, and society owes them no assistance. There is a great deal of shame ascribed to being deaf, as with all other disabilities.
In 1996 Krouser Thmey (http://www.krousar-thmey.org/) was established, and set up schools for deaf children. Khmer Sign Language began to be created and codified, and education begun in it.
[Edit]4.2 Samoa
In Samoa, Deaf children and youth attend the Lototamufai School for the Disabled in Apia. As well there is currently an Early Intervention program in use in Samoa and a few Deaf adults are employed to visit the villages where Deaf children are to assist the parents to learn sign language.
[Edit]5 Scholarships for deaf/hard of hearing students
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing (HoH) have special needs when it comes to education. While many people volunteer to do Sign Language Interpreting for free, and to take notes for fellow deaf/hoh students as a favor, that cannot always be the case and expenses will be incurred. Many different organizations and governmental bodies have recognized this and provided hearing impaired scholarships to help meet those needs.
