PART I. Position of the Deaf in Society

POSITION OF THE DEAF IN SOCIETY

CHAPTER

I. THE DEAF IN THE UNITED STATES 3

Meaning of Term "Deaf" in the Present Study--Number of the Deaf in the United States--Age when Deafness Occurred--Ability of the Deaf to Speak--Means of Communication Employed by the Deaf.

II. THE DEAF AS A PERMANENT ELEMENT OF THE POPULATION 13

Increase in the Number of the Deaf in Relation to the Increase in the General Population--The Adventitiously Deaf and the Congenitally Deaf--Adventitious Deafness and its Causes--Possible Action for the Prevention of Adventitious Deafness--Adventitious Deafness as an Increasing or Decreasing Phenomenon--The Congenitally Deaf--The Offspring of Consanguineous Marriages--The Deaf Having Deaf Relatives--The Offspring of Deaf Parents--Possible Action for the Prevention of Congenital Deafness--Congenital Deafness as an Increasing or Decreasing Phenomenon--Conclusions with Respect to the Elimination or Prevention of Deafness.

III. TREATMENT OF THE DEAF BY THE STATE 63

General Attitude of the Law towards the Deaf--Legislation Discriminatory respecting the Deaf--Legislation in Protection of the Deaf--Legislation in Aid of the Deaf--Tenor of Court Decisions Affecting the Deaf--Present Trend of the Law in Respect to the Deaf.

IV. ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE DEAF 75

The Extent to which the Deaf are a Wage-earning and Self-supporting Element of the Population--Views of the Deaf as to their Economic Standing--The Deaf as Alms-seekers--Homes for the Deaf--Conclusions with Respect to the Economic Position of the Deaf.

V. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE DEAF 91

Social Cleavage from the General Population--Desirability of Organizations Composed of the Deaf--Purposes, Activities, and Extent of Such Organizations--Newspapers of the Deaf.

VI. POPULAR CONCEPTIONS CONCERNING THE DEAF 99

Viewed as a Strange Class--Viewed as a Defective Class--Viewed as an Unhappy Class--Viewed as a Dependent Class--Need of a Changed Regard for the Deaf.

VII. PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS INTERESTED IN THE DEAF 107

General Societies Interested in the Deaf--The Volta Bureau--Parents' Associations for the Deaf--Church Missions to the Deaf--Organizations Interested in the Education of the Deaf--Publications Devoted to the Interests of the Deaf.