-
Jean Leurechon, a French priest and mathemetician, is the first to document in writing the use of ear trumpets to amplify sound. He writes in his "Recreation Mathematique" in 1624 about the specific operations of the ear trumpet. link text
-
Now referred to as "the American School for the Deaf," previously referred to as "the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons" opened in 1817 as the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut in the United States.
-
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln allowed for the first university to be established for deaf individuals. It continues to be the only public university specifically for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. It is located in Washington D.C, US.
-
Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, the idea of oralism became prominent. Alexander Graham Bell promoted oralism by teaching speech and lip-reading rather than teaching sign language, even though his mother was deaf. In 1872, Bell founded the first "Oralism" school in Boston, Massachusetts. Even though he later gave up on the visible speech method, he continued to promote that deaf individuals must learn to speak. In 1880 at the Milan conference, the use of sign language was banned in schools.
-
In 1898, Miller Reese Hutchison, an electrical engineer, developed the first electrical hearing aid. He deemed it the "Akouphone" and it worked by amplifying audio signals through a carbon transmitter and electrical currents. It wasn't until the 1930s that these hearing aids started to become more widely used. link text
-
After the ban of sign language in public schools at the conference in Milan, people were fearful that sign language would cease to exist. George Veditz created the "Preservation of Sign Language" project. This is a series of videos documenting sign language. A quote from this project includes; "As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs." link text
-
Transistor hearing aids were invented in 1948 by Bell Telephone Laboratories. These were smaller and battery-operated which allowed for the user to wear them in or behind the ear. Transistors allow for more control of electrical currents, thus permitting the device to hold multiple settings at one time. These quickly became the most popular type of hearing aid device on the market.
-
In 1957, the cochlear implant was first invented by André Djourno and Charles Eyriès.
-
William Stokoe (also known as the Father of ASL) published a paper about Sign Language, calling it a true and natural language in 1960. In 1965 he republished this paper and titled it the "Dictionary of American Sign Language." It began to gain traction and ASL was more widely appreciated. link text
-
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was enacted in 1973 and it referred to programs that received federal funding. It banned discrimination against individuals with disabilities in aforementioned programs.
-
In 1975, the Public Law 94-142 (also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) ) passed. This guarantees that all children and adults with disabilities, between the ages of 3 and 21, should be provided a free and appropriate public education through the least restrictive environment.
-
In 1982, the Rowley family sued the Hendrick Hudson School because the school denied the use of an interpreter. The school was found to be in favor because the student was succeeding without the use of an interpreter. This changed the way that previous laws were interpreted and clarified the level of supports that students need in order to be successful. This gave new meaning to the idea of an "appropriate" education. link text
-
In 1987, the Nicolet Corporation create digital hearing aids and brings them to the market. Digital hearing aids allow for finite processing of sound by reducing background noise and the ability to store memories for various programs (or certain situations). That way, at school a user can have one program, and while studying at home, the user can have a second program, and at a basketball game, a third program. This is the most common type of hearing aid technology today (in 2021).
-
The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990 agreed and supported the Education for All Handicapped Children Act; however, it added new categories of disabilities including traumatic brain injury and autism. It also incorporated a discussion about transitions for students above the age of 16 to transition to secondary education, the workforce, or other alternatives. This Act continued to promote the notion that deaf and HoH individuals could received free and appropriate education.
-
Over time, the idea of cochlear implants continued, and new models were produced and used. In 2006, the "hybrid" model moved into clinical trials within the US. The "hybrid" model of cochlear implants combines acoustic stimulation of low frequencies with electrical stimulation of high frequencies to offer a more comprehensive hearing ability. link text
-
In 2020, the Kanso® 2 Sound Processor was offered to the public. It offers an option of wearing it "off-the-ear" and adds the newest hearing technology with a rechargeable battery. It can be directly streamed and controlled with Apple and Android devices. Technology has come so far! link text
