Blind Education

Blind Education

Did you ever have any deaf classmates in grade school? Do you remember how the school accommodated them, or if at all? Assistance for the deaf in our educational system has come a long way; it used to be much more difficult for deaf children. I remember a classmate in 2nd grade, his name was Jason and he was hearing impaired. He wore a hearing aid and could hear slightly if you yelled. I don't recall him knowing how to sign and if he did he certainly didn't do it at school. I didn't think much of it at the time but looking back I see times in which he probably was missing out on his education.

In 1973 the Rehabilitation act was passed requiring that the disabled be given access and equal opportunity to use the resources of organization that receive federal funds. However deaf people would not find equality for another 15 years. On March 5, 1988, a protest broke out when a hearing woman named Elizabeth Zinger was hired as president of Gallaudet University School for deaf, despite requests by faculty and student for a deaf president. On March 10th the hearing president resigned. Since then

Congress passed The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and nearly every school in the country was ordered to make accommodations to comply with the law. Many schools were required to hire full-time interpreters.

The legal recognition for the deaf community was finally achieved, but are deaf children still receiving a comparable education? When I think of James I see a confused quiet little boy, and though he may have had legal educational equality there was definitely a disadvantage.