Total Communication and the Baltimore Deaf Survey

As part of the Survey, a random sample of 137 deaf Baltimoreans was intensively studied. The present paper considers data on the importance of manual communication to these individuals. The principal findings were: (1) Those who had attended a residential school where total communication was used were compared to those who had attended a purely oral day school. Although the former group had a much more serious average hearing loss, they equalled the latter in communication with the hearing and were vastly better in communication with the deaf. (2) The group rated highest in communication with the hearing were exclusively either postlinguistically deaf or else among those with considerable residual hearing. (3) Manual communication was very important for the socialization of the deaf through club life and for their religious activities. (4) Pupils attending oral schools often failed to learn either oral or manual communication. They made minimal progress in school subjects and their isolation was considered dangerous to their mental health.