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Did you know that the United States has the only university in the world with a curriculum
and services designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing people? Gallaudet University
in Washington, DC, opened in 1857 when a local postmaster donated land to be used for the
creation of a school for deaf and blind children. Seven years later, Congress officially granted
the school the ability to award college degrees. The school was named after Edward Gallaudet,
the school's first superintendent and son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the founder of
the first school for deaf students in America. Gallaudet officially received university status
in 1986.
The university admits the deaf and hard of hearing into a wide variety of undergraduate
and graduate degree programs with classes taught in a bilingual environment using both
American Sign Language and spoken English. There are nearly 30 undergraduate majors representing
the sciences and liberal arts, and Gallaudet's Graduate School confers professional and other
advanced degrees in interpretation, hearing science, speech, and language sciences. Gallaudet
is also famous for its cutting-edge research and training in visual language and communication
for the deaf and hard of hearing/
Slightly more than 1800 students attend the university and they have access to a variety
of extracurricular activities that enhance their college experience. These activities
include a sports program, Greek life, campus ministries, and a career center that prepares
students for future careers.
The University also houses the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, which runs
an elementary and high school with nearly 250 students. The goals of the schools are
to ensure that each student is proficient in both spoken English and American Sign Language.
The faculty also works closely with families and communities to build strong connections
between children, parents, teachers, and surrounding communities.