Day #28 – Separate Schools for the Deaf and the Blind In 1838, two movements appeared for the needs to have education for deaf and blind children in the state of Virginia. Politicians debated whether to have a joint school for both deaf and blind children or separate schools for the deaf and the blind. It was decided to have a combined school for the deaf and the blind. Staunton was the chosen city over Richmond one year later after the General Assembly passed the act for the establishment of the combined school. In 1888, the idea of two separate schools for the deaf and the blind was discussed in the Board of Visitors meeting. In 1891, Rev. John Michaels organized an alumni association meeting on July 4 in the Hall of the House of Delegates in Richmond. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss to have a separate school for the blind finally established. The resolution proclaimed that far better results can be obtained by having them (the deaf and the blind) taught in separate institutions than having two classes (together)... In 1895, Henry Bear, a 35 year teacher at VSDB shared his concerns about the combined school and declared that it was impossible to educate the two groups together at a national meeting. In 1896, a bill was introduced in the General Assembly asking for the separation of the school for the blind from that for the deaf. Charles W. s. Turner, son of the Rev. Job Turner, and directors of the Virginia Association of the Deaf, were active in seeing the bill passed but it did not happen. In 1915, The Board of Visitors declared its position to separate the school at Staunton as soon as practicable. The Staunton school was already fully crowded. It was pointed out that the method of instruction and separate groups of teachers were so different. Other states had their separate schools for the deaf and blind. In 1924, an Alumni Association of the Virginia School for the Deaf supported the Taylor Bill to establish a separate and independent school for the blind on a 187 acre site in Charlottesville and Staunton to become a school for the deaf only in which the General Assembly passed the bill. An appropriation of $150,000 was approved. A board of visitors was established then renamed the Virginia Commission for the Blind. During the Great Depression, the school for the blind did not materialize due to financial constraints. In 1948, another bill was on the table to change the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind to a school for the deaf only. The Virginia Commission for the Blind was ordered to sell the Charlottesville property and select a new site for the establishment of another school for the blind. In 1948, a total of 69 residential schools for the deaf in the United States and only nine were still combined with the blind. Today, the 175 years old school is still committed to provide education to both deaf and blind children on the Staunton campus. Fast forwarding to 2014, a current total of 53 residential schools for the deaf in the United States and the remaining schools for the deaf and the blind combined are 10. The following schools for the deaf and the blind are: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. .
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 10:38:22 +0000
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