The Silence at the Vancouver Institution
A Walla Walla father challenges the state’s neglect of oral education methods for deaf children.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
It seems strange that the state School for the Deaf and Dumb under the management of Superintendent Watson makes no provision for teaching the so-called dumb to talk. If J. H. Miller of this city is correct in his statements, his boy, who has been at the Vancouver institution for several years, has been given no opportunity to learn the art of speech through watching the lips of his instructor. This method of teaching deaf children to speak has been successfully practiced at all up-to-date schools for several years, and it certainly is remarkable that the Washington school either neglects this method entirely or teaches it in such a desultory way as to make it practically worthless. Mr. Miller himself has taught his boy to speak a number of words quite clearly, and it is evident that under skillful instruction the boy would become quite proficient in oral expression. It would be well for the state board of audit and control to make a complete investigation of the management and methods of the school.
“The state spends a great deal of money in maintaining the school for the deaf and dumb and the people of the state have the right to expect the best results.”
This highlights the historical struggle for accessible education and the role of parental advocacy in forcing state institutions to adopt modern pedagogical standards. Today, we recognize the importance of diverse communication methods for the Deaf community, contrasting with the period's focus on oralism.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.