By Katje Kroncke-Wisdom, for the Vermont Historical Society
Colonel William Austine (Brown) lived during the nineteenth century and rose up in ranks and respectability during his life [1] and when he passed away in Brattleboro, in 1904, he specified in his will that a sum of fifty thousand dollars would go toward establishing “a hospital for the treatment of strangers and local residents with extraordinary circumstances.” [2] The Vermont Attorney General directed that the money be used to establish an institution for Deaf and Blind students: The Austine School for the Deaf, which opened its doors with sixteen students in the fall of 1912 in Brattleboro.
For over a century, the school utilized a combination of the Montessori Method, the State of Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, and the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) to educate deaf students from around the state, [3] and by the 1960s, the school included students from New Hampshire and Massachusetts.Subscribe
Later in the twentieth century, the institution adopted the Bilingual/Bicultural System, taught and built community around the use of American Sign Language, and taught English and lip reading as a second language. [4] The school placed great emphasis on higher education and career opportunities for its graduates, and many went on to continue their education at Washington DC’s Gallaudet University, a private university that specifically accommodated deaf and hard-of-hearing students, as a result. [5]
To read the remainder of this article, visit: https://vermonthistory.org/vermont-history-austine-school-for-the-deaf-museum-collection
Sources:
- “William Austine Cullum’s Register . 965.” uchicago. Published Jul. 8, 2013. Accessed Aug. 7, 2024.
- “Austine History.” Austine Alumni Foundation, Inc. Accessed Au. 7, 2024.
- “Austine School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.” National Association of Special Education. Accessed Aug. 7, 2024
- McDonald, Hannah. “Supporters show support for shut down school.” NBC5. Published Sept. 28, 2014. Accessed Aug. 7, 2024.
- “Austine School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.” National Association of Special Education.