Nineteenth Century Deaf Education in the United States: A Survey of the Schools, Styles of Instruction, and the Events that Led to the Dark Ages of Deaf Education

Authors

• Christopher Arra, Northern Virginia Community CollegeFollow

Author Bio(s)

Christopher T. Arra, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Northern Virginia Community College, Manassas campus.

Abstract

The present study reviewed 19th-century deaf education in the United States and investigated controversial curriculum changes that led to the Dark Ages of Deaf Education. Two pedological approaches to deaf education were discussed: oralism and manualism, and a brief review of the 19th-century deaf education schools in the United States was also conducted. Readers are also made aware of the specific events that led to the Dark Ages of Deaf Education, and implications for Instructors are also discussed.

Recommended Citation

Arra, C. (2026). Nineteenth Century Deaf Education in the United States: A Survey of the Schools, Styles of Instruction, and the Events that Led to the Dark Ages of Deaf Education. Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, 29 (1). Retrieved from https://commons.vccs.edu/inquiry/vol29/iss1/9