WilliamRoberts ASL10200 DrucieRonchen March13,2013 TimelineofDeafCultureinArkansas

1850 ArkansasSchoolfortheDeafisfoundedinClarksvillebyAugustWard,apublicschoolfor childrenofallagesthroughElementary,Middle,andHighSchool.Theschoolsoriginalnamewas ArkansasDeafMuteInstitute. 1860 AsaClark,fatherofanonhearingdaughter(Emma,born1845),foundsasecondschoolin ArkansasforthedeafinthecityofFortSmith,onlytobeclosedintheyearsimmediatelybecauseof lackoffundingfromtheCivilWar.

1867 TheArkansasSchoolfortheDeafisreopenedinLittleRockand,undertheadministrationof

GovernorPowellClayton,madeastatefundedinstitution 1889 TheschoolisvisitedbyScottishInventorAlexanderGrahamBellandhisdeafwifeMabel. Bellsmotherwasalsodeafandhisworkonspeechandteachinglanguagetothedeafledtohismost famousinvention,thetelephone. 1893 TheArkansasAssociationoftheDeaf(AAD)isfounded,13yearstoprovideleadership andadvocacyonbehalfofthedeafcommunityandmembersofitsassociation.TheAADare responsibleforthepublicationofnewslettersandquarterliesconcerningDeafcultureinArkansassuch asDeafArkansanandtheArkansasDirectoryofServicesforDeafandHardofHearingPersons,as wellasscholarshipprogramsforDeafstudentsandadvocacyefforts. 1899 ThethenuninsuredArkansasDeafMuteInstituteisdestroyedbyfire,toberebuiltoverthe nexttwoyears. 1905 LegislationispassedtoextendthenumberofyearsDeafchildreninArkansaswereallowedto attendschoolfrom10to13. 1909 HarrietEstherThomasmovestoSearcyCounty,Arkansasandbecomespostmistressofthe

area.Afterherdeath,thecityofHarriet,Arkansaswasnamedinherhonor.Thomaswas wellregardedintheareaforhercooking.

1912 TheArkansasChildrensHospitalisfoundedinLittleRock.Todaythehospitalistheonly oneinthestateofArkansastoofferspeechandlanguagetherapytohearingimpairedchildrenthrough itsAuralHabilitationProgram. 1917 LegislationispassedchangingthenameoftheschoolfromArkansasDeafMuteInstituteto theArkansasSchooloftheDeaf(ASD)inLittleRock,itscurrentnameandresidence. 1927 BessMichaelRiggsappointedtothepositionofSuperintendentoftheASD,thefirstwoman todoso. 1938 RaceDrake,GallaudetUniversityclassof1938footballplayerandalumnus,becomesthe youngestpersontoholdthepositionofPresidentoftheAAD.Afterover70yearsofmembership, DrakereceivedtheAADlifetimeachievementawardin2007. 1941DeafLittleRocknativeLinaBelleDavismarriesDummyHoyTaylor,thefirstdeafMajor LeagueBaseballplayer. 1965 TheASDbecomesdesegregated.

1971 ASDbasketballplayerBennieFullersetsthecurrentstaterecordforalltimepointswith 4,896. 1979 GovernorBillClintonsignsintolawtheDoubleTaxExemptLawfordeaf,hardofhearing, andblindpeople. 1995 MissArkansasBethAnneRankinlosestoMissAlabamaHeatherWhitestoneintheMiss AmericaPageant.Whitestonewasthefirstdeafwomantoreceivethetitle. 2005 ThefirstAADlifetimeachievementawardpresentedtoHoustonandEmogeneNutt,parents ofHoustonNuttJr.,UniversityofArkansasHeadFootballCoachfrom19982007.HoustonSr.and EmogenebothtaughtattheASD.

2010 TheArkansasDeafandHearingImpairedCommunicationsServiceCorporationis established. 2011 TheAADrevampsreissuestheirConstitutionandByLaws.

2012 TheArkansasSchoolfortheDeafsmascottheASDLeopardsnamedtheBestHighSchool MascotInAmerica NationalBlackDeafAdvocatesestablishtheAndersonScholarshipforUniversityof ArkansasatLittleRock,namedafterUALRassistantprofessorofinterpretercommunicationDr.Glenn Anderson. 2013 GovernorMikeBeebehiresClaraTaylorasstateSignLanguageInterpreter.Controversy ensueswhenLittleRocknewsstationKATV7reportthatTaylorwashorriblyunderqualified,scoring belowa50%ofthewrittenpartofhercertificationtest.OutcryfromthedeafcommunityinLittleRock andtheArkansasRegistryforInterpretersoftheDeafleadstothepropositionofreforminthehiring processandjobqualificationsofprospectiveinterpretersinthestate.