UTAH DEAF HISTORY
The website is currently undergoing construction. Please come back later for updates.
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present."
~Eleanor Roosevelt~
~Eleanor Roosevelt~
Launched on October 21, 2012, the Utah Deaf History and Culture website strives to preserve the rich history and cultural traditions of the Deaf community in Utah. We digitize and preserve the collection, which includes photographs, films, and historical documents dating back several decades, including issues of the UAD Bulletin and Utah Eagle magazines, for future generations. We also aim to safeguard these materials so everyone can learn about and appreciate the fascinating story of the continually evolving Utah Deaf community.
The Deaf community in Utah has a unique and rich history that sets it apart from the national Deaf community. Utah is also home to many captivating historical highlights, as follows:
The Deaf community in Utah has a unique and rich history that sets it apart from the national Deaf community. Utah is also home to many captivating historical highlights, as follows:
- The Ogden Deaf Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a large, well-organized religious group. They have their own church building, which was constructed in 1917 in Ogden, Utah. In 1977, a unique Salt Lake Valley Ward building was built in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the specific needs of the Deaf members in mind. The Deaf Latter-day Saints played a crucial role in the design process, ensuring that both churches were created with the Utah Deaf community in mind.
- In 1909, the Utah Association of the Deaf (UAD) was founded at the Utah School for the Deaf in Ogden, Utah. Elizabeth DeLong, a woman who was Deaf, became the first president of the Utah Association of the Deaf. This is significant because women were not granted the right to vote for another decade until the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, which only applied to white women. During that time, women who were members of the Deaf community were not allowed to vote in the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) elections until 1965. Women of color were also not allowed to vote until later in the twentieth century. Elizabeth DeLong was the first Deaf woman in the United States to lead a NAD state chapter association. Notably, in 1870, Utah women made history by being the first women in modern America to exercise their voting rights. Seraph Young Ford, a schoolteacher, became the first woman to cast her vote in the United States on February 14, 1870, which marked a significant milestone in the journey towards women's suffrage. The cause of women's suffrage was further advanced when Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon became the first female state senator in the United States, 26 years later, in 1896. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a major milestone in the fight for equality, and another breakthrough occurred in 1965 when Deaf women were allowed to vote and Black Deaf individuals were given the opportunity to become members and vote in the National Association of the Deaf. This historic move was made possible under the leadership of Dr. Robert G. Sanderson, a renowned figure in his local community and nationwide, who was the organization's president at the time. Over time, members of the National Association of the Deaf became more diverse, with Deaf people of color serving on its board of directors. This was a significant step towards inclusivity and equality in the NAD's history. Since establishing the Utah Association of the Deaf in 1909, the UAD has been a leading voice, advocating for civil rights across various areas such as auto insurance, traffic safety, telecommunications, interpreters, education, early intervention, employment, rehabilitation, and more. Moreover, the UAD was the driving force behind establishing the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which is now a thriving hub for community activities. The UAD also helped establish the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf, a beacon of education for Deaf children. Additionally, the UAD championed expanding interpreting services and establishing Deaf Education at Utah State University, emphasizing ASL/English Bilingual (then Total Communication), thereby promoting bilingual education for the deaf.
- The Utah School for the Deaf (USD) was originally founded in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, unlike other state schools for the deaf, USD moved to different locations several times in the Salt Lake area before finally settling in Ogden in 1896 after Utah became a state. In 1962, Dr. Grant B. Bitter, a strong advocate of oralism (now called Listening and Spoken Language) and mainstreaming, introduced the USD's Dual Track Program, also known as the "Y" system. Under this program, all students in the Primary Department began in the oral program and could only switch to the Simultaneous Communication Division if they had "failed" the oral program by the age of 11 or 6th grade. The USD also started mainstreaming students in their program in 1959, and this movement continued to grow steadily throughout the 1960s. For almost a decade, the Deaf community in Utah along with supportive parents who advocated for sign language, battled against the "Y" system, but their voices went unheard, especially after the student protests in 1962. After another round of student protests in 1969, Ned C. Wheeler, a former president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, a graduate of USD, and the chair of the Governor's Advisory Council of the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, proposed a Two-Track Program to replace the "Y" system. This program allowed parents to choose between oral and total communication methods of instruction for their Deaf child between the ages of 2 and 21. In 1970, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) approved this policy under the direction of Dr. Jay J. Campbell, the Deputy Superintendent of the Utah State Office of Education and an ally of the Utah Deaf community. However, until 2010, parents were not given clear information about their children's educational and communication options due to the prevalent oral bias. In 2005, after receiving approval from the Utah Legislature and the Utah State Board of Education, USD merged with Jean Massieu School of the Deaf (JMS) to provide parents and students with an ASL/English bilingual option. Before the merger, USD had refused to incorporate the ASL/English bilingual program in school. So, in 1998, the USBE authorized JMS as one of the state's first two charter schools. The following year, in 1999, JMS was established. In August 2016, after more than fifty years, the "Hybrid" Program was finally developed under the direction of Michelle Tanner, USD Associate Superintendent. This program makes it possible for the ASL/English Bilingual Program and the Listening & Spoken Language Program to work together without bias, giving Deaf students a more individualized educational placement. Within the USD umbrella, three deaf schools are named after Deaf prominent leaders: Jean Massieu School of the Deaf (Salt Lake City), Kenneth Burdett School of the Deaf (Ogden), and Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf (Springville).
- The Utah Deaf community and UAD officers worked tirelessly through the legislative process for 40 years, from 1962 to 1992, to make the community center a permanent reality. The planning process involved the active participation of deaf people from the beginning. In 1992, the Utah Community Center for the Deaf opened a new facility in Taylorsville, Utah, exclusively for the state's Deaf community. Dr. Robert G. Sanderson, a notable figure in the Utah Deaf community, was honored with a substantial renaming ceremony on October 4, 2003. The Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is the only state-funded Deaf agency in the US that provides accessibility and communication services. The Sanderson Community Center was built specifically to meet the needs of the deaf, with the deaf themselves playing an essential part in the process, just like the church buildings.
- In 1968, the Utah Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf became the first interpreting service for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in Utah. They partnered with the Utah Association for the Deaf to develop the state's first interpreter training program and certification procedures. Beth Ann Stewart Campbell, a Utah native, CODA, and former director of the Utah Community Center for the Deaf, became the first nationally RID-certified interpreter in Utah and the United States in 1965. Utah was also the first state to pass SB 41, the interpreter certification statute, in 1994.
- Sorenson Communications, Inc., a Salt Lake City-based company, developed the first videophone for Deaf people in 2003, becoming the first VRS provider to do so.
- The Utah Association of the Deaf was the first to break with tradition by changing its name from "of" to "for" in 1963, as in the Utah Association for the Deaf. It was also the last organization to reverse the change in 2012, becoming the Utah Association of the Deaf after a few associations of the deaf had changed back to "of."
- The Utah Association of the Deaf lobbied state legislators to pass Utah Code House Bill (HB) 60, which changed the term "hearing impaired" in state law to "deaf and hard of hearing." Utah Governor Gary Hebert signed HB 60 into law on March 17, 2017, making Utah the first state in the United States to achieve this goal. Governor Herbert signed House Bill 60 into law on April 11, 2017.
Furthermore, Utah boasts a rich history of notable firsts, and it is important to acknowledge and remember the significant contributions made by many prominent leaders in the Deaf community.
Since 2006, I have collected, organized, and documented Utah Deaf History on this website. As the sole owner and operator of this website, I am committed to preserving the rich history of Utah Deaf community.
Since 2006, I have collected, organized, and documented Utah Deaf History on this website. As the sole owner and operator of this website, I am committed to preserving the rich history of Utah Deaf community.
A BIG LOSS IN DEAF HISTORY
Barry Strassler, the owner of DeafDigest, wrote about a self-taught Deaf historian he met in his article "A Big Loss in Deaf History." Despite not attending college, the historian was always fascinated by the history of the Deaf community. He conducted his studies at Gallaudet University's library and the Library of Congress and recorded his findings in notebooks. He kept several books on Deaf history, as well as his journals, at home. However, he never shared his discoveries with anyone and kept them to himself. He had no close friends or family members, so no one knew about this enormous treasure when he passed away. "A horrible waste in Deaf history," remarked Barry Strassler, DeafDigest Editor, on November 18, 2012.
Given Utah's changing demographics, it would be unfortunate if the state's Deaf heritage were lost. Thanks to digitization, anyone can now access the rich history of the Utah Deaf community for historical preservation, genealogy, and research. Virginia C. Borggaard, the author of Celebrating A Rich Heritage 1901–2001, states, "Utah has always been a forerunner in promoting the history of the state's Deaf community." For this reason, we are committed to keeping up with and preserving Utah's Deaf history.
Thank you for visiting our website; we hope you find it entertaining and informative!
Cheers!
Jodi Becker Kinner
Given Utah's changing demographics, it would be unfortunate if the state's Deaf heritage were lost. Thanks to digitization, anyone can now access the rich history of the Utah Deaf community for historical preservation, genealogy, and research. Virginia C. Borggaard, the author of Celebrating A Rich Heritage 1901–2001, states, "Utah has always been a forerunner in promoting the history of the state's Deaf community." For this reason, we are committed to keeping up with and preserving Utah's Deaf history.
Thank you for visiting our website; we hope you find it entertaining and informative!
Cheers!
Jodi Becker Kinner
Copyright © Jodi Becker Kinner, 2012 - 2024. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or published without the express consent of the author. If you have additional information about Utah Deaf history, or photos/materials that you would like share, please contact Jodi Becker Kinner via email at jodibeckerkinner@gmail.com