Approximately 4,000 deaf employees work for the U.S. Postal Service, which is one of the largest employers of hearing impaired people in the country. In their honor, we would like to recognize Deaf History Month, which runs from March 13 until April 15.Deaf History Month begins and ends when it does because of three dates that are milestones in the hearing-impaired community’s journey
towards gaining equality, acceptance, and understanding.
March 13, 1988: King Jordan became the first deaf president at Gallaudet University. His appointment was a result of the Deaf President Now week-long campus protest after Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing person, had initially been installed into the position.
April 8, 1864: President Abraham Lincoln signed the charter that allowed college degrees to be awarded to deaf students. Now, this is known as Gallaudet Charter Day.
April 15, 1817: The American School for the Deaf, which was the first permanent public school for deaf elementary and secondary students, opened its doors.
Here are some fascinating deaf history tidbits:
1. It is a widely-held belief that at the Lincoln Memorial, President Lincoln’s hands are signing A.L., his own initials. This is a reasonable assumption, considering Lincoln’s advocacy for the equality of deaf people and the fact that the sculptor’s own son was deaf. Look closely, and you be the judge.
Here are some fascinating deaf history tidbits:
2. American Sign Language is the fourth (or third, depending on which source you read) most frequently used language in United States.
3. The National Institute on Deafness estimates that over 17 million people worldwide are affected by hearing loss.
4. In 1819, the American School for the Deaf became the first elementary or secondary institution to receive state funding for education when the Connecticut General Assembly gave the school 23,000 acres of land in the Alabama Territory. The school later sold the land for around $300,000 and used the money to construct
buildings, establish an operational endowment, and fund the educations of deaf students from across the nation.
5. In the 1850's, it was proposed in Congress that deaf Americans be given their own state out west. This was based on the land that had been granted to the American School for the Deaf back in 1819. The proposal was soon abandoned.
Resources:
4. In 1819, the American School for the Deaf became the first elementary or secondary institution to receive state funding for education when the Connecticut General Assembly gave the school 23,000 acres of land in the Alabama Territory. The school later sold the land for around $300,000 and used the money to construct
buildings, establish an operational endowment, and fund the educations of deaf students from across the nation.
5. In the 1850's, it was proposed in Congress that deaf Americans be given their own state out west. This was based on the land that had been granted to the American School for the Deaf back in 1819. The proposal was soon abandoned.
Resources:
Deaf history: History Through Deaf Eyes
Deaf organization: National Association for the Deaf
Begin to learn Sign Language online for free: Signing Savvy
