The Infamous Conference of Milan – 1880

The Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf was the most

influential of the Congresses; however, in this scenario influence has no positive

connotation. Delegates from across the globe met in Milan, Italy to discuss the future of

deaf education. The vast majority of these delegates were representatives of Italy and

France. Only five were United States citizens; Britain, Sweden, Belgium, and Germany

were also represented. This conference, which only lasted five days, would forever

transform deaf education. Of the eight resolutions that passed, a majority of at least one

hundred fifty of the one hundred sixty-four total members passed each. Sadly, only one

of these individuals was actually deaf. Clearly, the world’s deaf population was in no

way represented, yet this conference was designed to shape their educational future.

The assembly, while providing more access to school, ultimately damaged later deaf

generations by forcing the oral method and ending signing as a primary education

method.

The Congress passed eight resolutions. The most controversial resolution,

Resolution 2, specifically stated, “The Convention, considering that the simultaneous

use of articulation and signs has the disadvantage of injuring articulation and lip-reading

and the precision of ideas, declares that the pure oral method should be preferred.” The

deaf or the delegates from the United States or Britain did not support this motion.

Regardless, all others passed it, effectively ending signing as the primary source of

education for almost all European nations and still increasing the use of the oral method

in Britain and the United States. Prior to 1880, many professionals flourished who solely
used signing as a form of communication. After the conference, this was rarely an

option.

While the conference did much to harm the deaf, it did provide addition

schooling. Resolution 3 stated that governments should ensure all deaf have access to

education and that education is a priority and necessary for future success. Another

resolution prompted class sizes to be ten students or under. These measures, if not

mixed with the other legislation, would have benefited deaf people while ensuring their

unique was being maintained. Other resolutions that were either beneficial or neutral

consisted of teachers using specific books and the ages at which students be admitted

to schools.

Directly after the conference, many deaf teachers lost their jobs and schools that

once focused on teaching sign language, were reformed for the worse. However,

opposition existed. In the United States, Edward Miner Gallaudet ensured that

Gallaudet University would fully permit sign language and denounced oralism. This

initiative effectively protected the culture and many signs. The National Association of

the Deaf was also created in response to the Milan decision.

The Conference of Milan will forever be known as a dark portion of deaf history. It

was biased and ultimately moved the status of the deaf backwards. Finally, one

hundred thirty years later, the Twenty-first International Congress on Education of the

Deaf regretted and rejected the eight resolutions. Still, the tragedies experienced by

many deaf can never be reversed.

 Sources

http://deafness.about.com/cs/featurearticles/a/milan1880.htm

http://www.handspeak.com/byte/m/index.php?byte=milan1880

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_International_Congress_on_Education_of_the_Deaf

http://www.milan1880.com/iced2010statement.html