Chapter 1:
Earliest Known History of Deaf People

Aristotle

Thought the Deaf were incapable of intelligence

"Those who are born deaf all become senseless and incapable of reason"

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  1. Someone who is dumb either from birth or became dumb.
  1. The person who is simply deaf from an accident
  1. The Deaf person who is not dumb, but was born Deaf.
  1. The Deaf and Dumb NOT from brith
  1. The Deaf and Dumb from birth

Justinian Code

Believed hearing contributed the MOST to intelligence

Accused for thousand of years after death for oppressing deaf people

Deaf People in the Middle Ages

Deaf adults were objects of ridicule

Served as court gestures

Committed to asylums because of their lack of speech

Their behaviors were thought to be a result of demonic possession

16th Century Education for Deaf Children

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Teaching deaf children how to communicate orally or through writing

Rarely taught lip reading

Education of deaf children was arranged by family

Many teachers thought their styles of teaching were their own creation

Teachers of the deaf were priests or physicians

Very little was written about deaf education at the time (they didn't' see it as important)