Launch of deaf-blind education book

Citation

(2001), "Launch of deaf-blind education book", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 33 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2001.03733aab.004

Launch of deaf-blind education book

Launch of deaf-blind education book

Keywords: Disabled people, Students, Education

A new book revealing the struggles and achievements of deaf-blind people's education experiences has been launched.

Touch, Touch and Touch Again, by Doreen Woodford, a noted former teacher of deaf and deaf-blind people, details the lives and experiences of this virtually undocumented group of society before 1900.

The extensive research for the book, a joint project between Sense, the UK's leading charity for people who are both deaf and blind, and the British Deaf History Society, confirmed that this was an area of history previously almost undiscovered and the people involved forgotten.

Woodford's painstaking investigations have produced an 11-chapter read that includes named advocates, references, 23 illustrations and thought-provoking material for future research projects.

Doreen Woodford said: "We hope that this book will lead to wider knowledge of the history of deaf-blind education and a greater understanding of this largely hidden group of society. We believe that the book will be of interest to the teachers of deaf-blind children, deaf-blind individuals and organizations as well as those with an interest in social and education history.

"The British Deaf History Society is honoured to be launching Touch, Touch and Touch Again with Sense. They have been a constant source of encouragement and support during the writing of the book."

Malcolm Matthews, acting chief executive for Sense, said: "This is our first joint project with the British Deaf History Society and we were very happy to play a role in the research, funding and development of the book. Its contents reveal that deaf-blind people were, as they still are now, somewhat forgotten by society. We hope that this book will help in the fight to ensure that deaf-blind children receive the quality specialist education that they deserve."

The book details the experiences of James Mitchell, who was born in 1796, and died at the age of 73, and Hannah Lamb, who died at the age of seven, in 1808, neither of whom received any education. There is also information in the book about the provision of education for deaf-blind students at The Bath School for the Deaf and The Glasgow Blind Asylum.