UTAH DEAF HISTORY
1912 Utah Association of the Deaf Convention at the Utah School for the Deaf. The UAD Bulletin, Summer 1963
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present."
~Eleanor Roosevelt~
~Eleanor Roosevelt~
Utah School for the Deaf, Ogden, Utah
The "Utah Deaf History" website was created in 2012 because the history is our state treasure. Particularly with the continuous changes occurring in Utah Deaf community, I wish to see the UAD Bulletin issues, Utah Eagle magazines, and other Utah Deaf historical documents and records be preserved so that this important history does not dwindle away, unknown to future generations.
The Utah Deaf History represents decades of rich Deaf history and cultural heritage that would have been lost if it weren’t for our commitment to historical preservation. If we study the history, we will find that Utah has a rich past that is opposite the norm of the Deaf community at large. For instance, the historical uniqueness of state of Utah has, as follows:
As you can see, Utah has several firsts to its credit. In addition, we have several widely recognized Deaf community leaders whose contributions need to be preserved and remembered.
I have been collecting, compiling and writing the Utah Deaf History since 2006. This website is funded and operated by me.
The Utah Deaf History represents decades of rich Deaf history and cultural heritage that would have been lost if it weren’t for our commitment to historical preservation. If we study the history, we will find that Utah has a rich past that is opposite the norm of the Deaf community at large. For instance, the historical uniqueness of state of Utah has, as follows:
- Deaf LDS Church - a large organized religious community, including the first church building of their own in Ogden, Utah in 1917 and the unique deaf-friendly designed church building in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1977.
- Utah Association of the Deaf (1909) - the first Deaf president of the Utah Association of the Deaf was a woman named Elizabeth DeLong – This is notable, as women were not granted the right to vote for a decade until the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920 (This amendment applies to *white* women. Women of color were not granted the right to vote until later in the 20th century) and Deaf women members were not allowed to vote in the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) election until 1964. Elizabeth was also the first Deaf female NAD state chapter association president in the entire nation. On a side note, Utah women were the first to legally vote in modern American history in 1870. Seraph Young Ford, a schoolteacher, was the first woman in the United States to legally vote on February 14, 1870. Twenty-six years later in 1896, Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon became the first female state senator in the nation. Notably, our local prominent Deaf leader, Dr. Robert G. Sanderson, NAD president from 1964-68, allowed Deaf women members to vote and Black Deaf individuals to become members as well as to vote in 1965, a year after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- Utah School for the Deaf (1884) - a unique Dual Track Program/Mainstreaming system and the unusual merger of a charter school, Jean Massieu School of the Deaf (JMS) with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in 2005. JMS was one of the first two charter schools approved by the Utah State Board of Education in 1998. One year later in 1999, JMS was formed.
- Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (1983) - was the first building for a Deaf community in the nation. A later building, built in 1992, was designed specifically for Deaf people. Deaf people were involved in the architectural planning from the very beginning. The Sanderson Community Center is the only Deaf state-funded agency to provide adequate accessibility service and communication needs.
- Utah Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (1968) - established the first interpreting service in Utah to serve the Deaf and hard of hearing community in 1968. In cooperation with the Utah Association for the Deaf (UAD), the UAD developed the first training program for interpreters, and the first testing and certification systems in Utah. In 1965, Beth Ann Stewart Campbell, a Utah native, CODA, and former director of the Utah Community Center for the Deaf, had the distinction of being the first nationally RID certified interpreter in Utah and the United States. In 1994, Utah is the first state to enact the interpreter certification law, known as SB 41.
- Sorenson Communications, Inc. (2003) - this company, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, became the first VRS provider to develop a videophone for Deaf people in 2003.
- Utah Association of the Deaf - Utah is the first to break tradition with the change in name from “of” to “for” in 1963 and is probably the last association to change back to "of" in 2012.
- Utah Association of the Deaf - lobbied the Utah state legislators to get the Utah Code House Bill (HB) 60 enacted to replace the term of 'Hearing Impaired' to 'Deaf and Hard of Hearing' in the State Law. The crowning moment came on March 17, 2017, when Utah Governor Gary Hebert signed HB 60 into law. On April 11, 2017, Governor Herbert held a ceremonial signing of HB 60. Utah is the first state in America to make it happen.
As you can see, Utah has several firsts to its credit. In addition, we have several widely recognized Deaf community leaders whose contributions need to be preserved and remembered.
I have been collecting, compiling and writing the Utah Deaf History since 2006. This website is funded and operated by me.
1909 Utah Association of the Deaf Convention
A BIG LOSS IN DEAF HISTORY
1931 Utah Association of the Deaf Convention
I wish to share Barry Strassler’s “A Big Loss in Deaf History” with the viewers and I wouldn't want this to happen to our Utah’s rich deaf history when the Utah Deaf community’s future demographic begins to change.
Barry Strassler, DeafDigest editor tells a story of a Deaf man whom he knew, was a self-taught Deaf historian. He never went to college but had a lifelong interest in Deaf history. He would do his research at Gallaudet library and at the Library of Congress and write his findings in his notebooks. At home he had many books on deaf history as well as his notebooks. He never shared his findings with anyone, pretty much keeping his numerous discoveries to himself.
When he died, no one knew of this vast treasure. He lived alone with no close friends or family members and it disappeared. Barry said, “A sad waste in Deaf History.” Barry Strassler, Editor -- DeafDigest Gold - November 18, 2012
Through digitization, the rich story of the Utah deaf is available to everyone to access for historical preservation as well as genealogy/research purposes. Virginia C. Borggaard (2012), an author of "Celebrating A Rich Heritage 1901 - 2001" shared that “Utah has always been a forerunner in promoting the history of the state's Deaf community." Hence, it is the goal that we continue promoting and preserving our Utah Deaf History.
Thank you for visiting, I hope you find the site enjoyable, informative and educational!
Jodi Becker Kinner
Barry Strassler, DeafDigest editor tells a story of a Deaf man whom he knew, was a self-taught Deaf historian. He never went to college but had a lifelong interest in Deaf history. He would do his research at Gallaudet library and at the Library of Congress and write his findings in his notebooks. At home he had many books on deaf history as well as his notebooks. He never shared his findings with anyone, pretty much keeping his numerous discoveries to himself.
When he died, no one knew of this vast treasure. He lived alone with no close friends or family members and it disappeared. Barry said, “A sad waste in Deaf History.” Barry Strassler, Editor -- DeafDigest Gold - November 18, 2012
Through digitization, the rich story of the Utah deaf is available to everyone to access for historical preservation as well as genealogy/research purposes. Virginia C. Borggaard (2012), an author of "Celebrating A Rich Heritage 1901 - 2001" shared that “Utah has always been a forerunner in promoting the history of the state's Deaf community." Hence, it is the goal that we continue promoting and preserving our Utah Deaf History.
Thank you for visiting, I hope you find the site enjoyable, informative and educational!
Jodi Becker Kinner
Copyright © Jodi Becker Kinner, 2012 - 2021. 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 B. Kinner via email at jodibeckerkinner@gmail.com