The Impact of Oralism on Deaf Identity

What is Oralism?

American Sign Language

Examining the Teaching Methods For the Deaf in America and American Sign Language's Role in Education

• Developed in the late 1800s; became the dominant method of teaching Deaf children in the 1900s

(What Is Oralism in Deaf – ICPHS).

• An educational approach that focuses on teaching children to communicate orally through spoken language and lipreading, rather than using sign language

• The goal is to expand communication abilities beyond those that would develop using only sign language, enabling greater interaction in society and friendships with hearing peers

(Oral Therapy | Approaches for Promoting Language in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschoolers: A Guide)

400 million people worldwide have moderate to severe hearing loss

(World Report on Hearing).

266 Million

Moderate

103 Million

Moderately Severe

30.7 Million

Severe

• American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete and visual language that has complexity, structure, syntax, and storytelling elements

• Conveyed through hand movements, facial expressions, and body language

• Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc established the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, now known as the American School for the Deaf

(“History and Cogswell Heritage House American School for the Deaf”)

• It is suggested that ASL was born from a combination of French Sign Language (LSF) and local sign language

(“American Sign Language”)

Alexander Graham Bell & Visible Speech

1880: The Milan Conference

• "The inventor of the telephone"

• His mother was hard of hearing & his father studied speech physiology and invented Visible Speech

• Visible Speech
• a system of symbols for vowels, tone, pitch, and suction in human vocals to help people speak words in any language

(“Alexander Graham Bell and His Role in Oral Education”)

After the Milan Conference

Oralism vs. Manualism Debate

• Deaf educators in the school system decreased significantly (Gannon 3)

the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf:

- September 6-11, 1880

- 164 members attended, none were Deaf

(Traynor)

1858

40.9%

1927

14%

Bell's Emergence

• Oralists argued that it was necessary for Deaf individuals to learn to speak and lipread in order to succeed in the hearing world

• Manualists argued that sign language was a natural and effective means of communication for Deaf individuals.

• Thus, the controversy between oralism and sign language became known as the "oralism vs. manualism" debate in the late 19th century

(Traynor)

- “declared that oral education was superior to manual education and passed a resolution banning the use of sign language in school”

(Deaf History - Europe - 1880: The Milan Conference)

- rejected a compromise motion to include sign language along with speech (Gannon 63)

• Schools refused to hire Deaf teachers

• Children were told that using signs would prevent them from growing up "normal"

• Those who were caught breaking the rules were scolded or punished (their hands slapped with a ruler, their mouth clapped with a chalky eraser, or their hands restricted)

(Gannon 361)

“Ameslan Prohibited.” by Betty G. Miller 1972 (Jay).

• 1870 - Sarah Fuller invited Visible Speech into the Boston School for Deaf-Mutes

• Bell became deeply involved in education for the deaf

• 1872 - Bell opened his own private school

Advocated speech and lipreading

education as crucial for the social

integration and advancement of Deaf

individuals

• Bell pushed for the integration of Deaf children into society through oralism, making him the central figure of the oralist movement.

(“Alexander Graham Bell and His Role in Oral Education”)

From the standpoint of a totally deaf person, proficient in speech and lip-reading, and with forty years’ experience in the art, I can only say that lip-reading at its best is a matter of skillful guess work, and a sorry mess we sometimes make of it

Anson R. Spear, Gallaudet Class of 1884

(“Signers and Supporters Defend Sign Language | Gallaudet University”)

ASL & Education

ASL & Education

Oralism in Practice

ASL & Cultural Identity

• Children exposed to sign language from birth develop theory of mind at a pace similar to hearing children

• Introducing sign language to children has no risks

• Negleting ASL proficirncy can result in communication difficulties and a sense of isolation from the Deaf community (What Is Oralism in Deaf – ICPHS)

• The mean word-recognition accuracy scores through lip-reading are barely above 10% (Altieri et al)

• Oral programs do not guarantee success in speech and speechreading skills

• Early use of sign language does not hinder speech development.

• Building complex phrases, whether signed or spoken, engages the same brain areas (“American Sign Language”)

• Deaf children benefit from the acquisition of language, including ASL, regardless of when hearing and speech are introduced

(Dougherty)

• ASL in classrooms can allow Deaf students to embrace their strengths and develop a stronger sense of self-worth

(Cawthon et al)

• Sign language is not just a means of communication for the Deaf community; it’s the backbone of its cultural identity.

(QuickByDesign)

• The discovery of ASL as a true language has influenced the attitudes of deaf persons towards themselves, their language, their culture and made them take a closer look at their rights as American citizens

(Gannon 367)

Works Cited

"Oral Therapy | Approaches for Promoting Language in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschoolers: A Guide." my.vanderbilt.edu/bireleylanguageacquisition/oral-therapy/#:~:text=Increased%20family%20involvement%20in%20child%E2%80%99s%20education%2C%20and%20family,skills%20in%20the%20English%20language.%20Helps%20lip%20reading.

“Signers and Supporters Defend Sign Language | Gallaudet University.” Gallaudet University, gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits/history-through-deaf-eyes/language-and-identity/signers-and-supporters-defend-sign-language.

“Sign Language’S Role in Preserving Deaf Culture | Sign Solutions.” Sign Solutions, 5 June 2023, www.signsolutions.uk.com/sign-languages-role-in-preserving-deaf-culture.

“Some normative data on lip-reading skills (L).” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America vol. 130,1 (2011): 1-4. doi:10.1121/1.3593376.

“The Struggle Between Natural and Normal | Gallaudet University.” Gallaudet University, gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits/history-through-deaf-eyes/language-and-identity/the-struggle-between-natural-and-normal.

"World Report on Hearing." Geneva: World Health Organization, 2021, apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1334317/retrieve.

“What Is Oralism in Deaf – ICPHS.” 22 Dec. 2022, www.icphs2019.org/what-is-oralism-in-deaf.

Altieri, Nicholas A et al. “Some normative data on lip-reading skills (L).” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America vol. 130,1 (2011): 1-4. doi:10.1121/1.3593376.

"Alexander Graham Bell and His Role in Oral Education." Social Welfare History Project, 18 July 2017, socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/issues/alexander-graham-bell-role-oral-education.

Cawthon, S. W., Johnson, P. M., Garberoglio, C. L., & Schoffstall, S. J. (2016). Role models as facilitators of social capital for Deaf individuals: A research synthesis. American Annals of the Deaf, 161(2), 115–127. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26235257.

Dougherty, Elizabeth. “Getting the Word In.” Boston University, 28 Mar. 2023, www.bu.edu/articles/2017/asl-language-acquisition.

Gannon, Jack R.. Deaf Heritage : A Narrative History of Deaf America, Gallaudet University Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/valencia-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3010944.

“History and Cogswell Heritage House American School for the Deaf.” American School for the Deaf, www.asd-1817.org/about/history--cogswell-heritage-house.

Jay, Michelle. “Deaf Culture Values: Art and Literature | Start ASL.” Start ASL | Learn American Sign Language With Our Complete 4-Level Course!, 14 July 2023, www.startasl.com/deaf-culture-art-and-literature.

Moores, Donald F. “Partners in Progress: The 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf and the Repudiation of the 1880 Congress of Milan.” American Annals of the Deaf, vol. 155, no. 3, 2010, pp. 309–10. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26235069.

“American Sign Language.” NIDCD, 29 Oct. 2021, www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language.

“Deaf History - Europe - 1880: The Milan Conference.” www.deafhistory.eu/index.php/component/zoo/item/1880.