DEAF AUTONOMY AND DEAF DEPENDENCE - THE EARLY YEARS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE DEAF

Deaf history is more complex and ambiguous than previous studies have indicated, and historians' preoccupation with the manual-oral controve rsy has precluded a full understanding of deaf people's lives. The his torical interests and organized efforts of the Pennsylvania Society fo r the Advancement of the Deaf (PSAD) transcended language issues and f ocused on balancing the risks and the benefits of deaf self-determinat ion. One hundred years ago, PSAD's leaders concentrated their efforts on philanthropy and lobbying for the general good of deaf Pennsylvania ns, while remaining silent on controversies over deaf education. In ef fect, they accepted oralism and hearing hegemony in education in excha nge for deaf autonomy and improvement in other areas of life. If the P SAD's experience is typical of other state organizations, simple histo rical models that focus on the actions of hearing oppressors obscure t he actual creativity, struggles, and sophistication of America's deaf leaders.