Deaf Education Timeline

By kate_sindt
  • 384 BCE

    Aristotle states that people who are born deaf or hard of hearing are "incapable to reason" ("Deaf History," n.d.)

    Setting a precedent and a stigma for how people who are deaf or hard of hearing are viewed, Aristotle makes some shocking statements about these individuals' assumed intelligence.

  • Pedro Ponce de Leon, known as the first teacher for the deaf, passes away (Peet, 1851)

    Ponce de Leon established a small school for the deaf at his monastery in Spain.
  • Gallaudet University opens as the first university for students who are deaf/hard of hearing ("Gallaudet History," n.d.)

    Gallaudet University opens as the first university for students who are deaf/hard of hearing ("Gallaudet History," n.d.)

    Eight students were enrolled during the first year of Gallaudet's existence; the university still exists today.
  • William DeCoursey French founds Nebraska School for the Deaf in northwest Omaha ("Northomahahistory.com," 2015)

    William DeCoursey French founds Nebraska School for the Deaf in northwest Omaha ("Northomahahistory.com," 2015)

    Two years after Nebraska became a state, French helped in founding a school dedicated to teaching Nebraska's deaf and hard of hearing population Link text
  • Alexander Graham Bell writes paper entitled "Upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race," denounces the creation of a "deaf race" ("Through Deaf Eyes," 2007)

    Alexander Graham Bell writes paper entitled "Upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race," denounces the creation of a "deaf race" ("Through Deaf Eyes," 2007)

    Alexander Graham Bell, well-known to most as the inventor of the telephone, was a supporter of the eugenics movement. As such, he denounced any "causes" of deaf people to intermarry, as he believed that this would increase the size of a "deaf race." These causes were ASL, deaf teachers, and residential schools like Nebraska's School for the Deaf. He promoted oralism and the use of the English language alone. Link text

  • National Association of the Deaf is founded ("Harvard," n.d.)

    The NAD is founded for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to join together on civil rights issues and promote usage of sign language.

  • First electric hearing aid is manufactured ("Bernard Becker Medical Library," 2009)

    The Akouphone Company in Alabama developed a table model of a bulky electric hearing aid. The first patent for a hearing aid was granted to Miltimore in 1892, but he never produced any. Link text

  • First bone conduction hearing aid produced ("Bernard Becker Medical Library", 2009)

    Sonotone Corporation produced the first bone conduction hearing aid. Link

  • Djourno and Eyriès perform the first direct electrical stimulation of a patient's auditory nerve - an important precursor to cochlear implants (Eshraghi et al., 2012)

    The implanted patient was able to discriminate some different intensities based on stimulation to his already damaged auditory nerve and an induction coil placed on his temporalis muscle.
  • American Sign Language recognized as a language ("RIT," 2011)

    American Sign Language recognized as a language ("RIT," 2011)

    William Stokoe, a linguist at Gallaudet University, described the features of American Sign Language to justify it as its own language. Link text
  • First BTE (Behind The Ear) hearing aid produced ("Bernard Becker Medical Library," 2009)

    First BTE (Behind The Ear) hearing aid produced ("Bernard Becker Medical Library," 2009)

    Zenith develops a BTE hearing aid that also contains an integrated circuit Link text
    Photo

  • Interest in visual language grows; Seeing Essential English (SEE 1) developed (Spencer, 2016)

    SEE 1 was developed as a visual language that included grammatical morphemes of English.

  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973 passed ("Harvard," n.d.)

    The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provided funding for vocational rehab and client support.

  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) signed into law (Rosen, 2006)

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in 1990 renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets forth basic special education principles such as Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and Individualized Education Program (IEP). Many students who were deaf/hard of hearing were integrated into general education programs as a result of this act. Link text

  • Deaf Students Education Services Policy Guidance Report published (Seaver & Desgeorges, 2004)

    This special report details the unique communication needs of children who are deaf/hard of hearing and how these needs must be taken into consideration to receive a FAPE.

  • Nebraska School for the Deaf closes ("Northomahahistory.com," 2015)

    Due to decreased enrollment and financial difficulties, the Nebraska School for the Deaf closes its doors in 1998.

  • 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) passed in United States ("FCC," 2010)

    This act updated accessibility requirements for people with various disabilities (e.g. voice over Internet protocols, closed captioning) Link text

  • Joint Committee on Infant Hearing and United States Center for Disease Control recommend Newborn Hearing Screening requirements ("JCIH," 2019)

    Joint Committee on Infant Hearing and United States Center for Disease Control releases an updated position statement on the importance of meeting guidelines- "hearing screening completed by 1 month, audiologic diagnosis by 3 months, enrollment in early intervention by 6 months" Link text Note: Previous JCIH recommendations were published in 2007, 2000, 1994, 1990, 1982, 1973, and 1971.