New York School for the Deaf

The New York School for the Deaf is a private school for the Deaf in White Plains, New York, just north of New York City.

History

The New York School for the Deaf was chartered in 1817 as the New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and opened its first classes in New York City in 1818 just after the American School for the Deaf, and thus is recognized as the 2nd oldest deaf school in the United States. It moved twice in the 19th century to other Manhattan locations, and finally to White Plains, NY in 1938 where it remains.^[1] The school is also known informally as Fanwood, after the Fanwood Estate in upper Manhattan where it was located starting in 1856 or in writing by its initials. The Fanwood Estate was named after Fannie Monroe, daughter of the previous owner. Fannie enjoyed walking through woods of the estate, establishing the name Fanwood.^[2]

The school had its origins in 1808, when the Rev. John Stanford gathered a small group of deaf children to teach them the alphabet and basic language skills in New York City. In 1892 the school was the first U.S. school of any kind to introduce a military curriculum. For half a century, tight formation drill was an everyday occurrence on the parade grounds.^{[3] [4]}

In 1952, the school dropped the military curriculum and welcomed girls again, and since then has expanded its programs to benefit both deaf and hard-of-hearing school children, and more recently, pre-school classes as well.

Education

Since 1977, Fanwood uses the total communication method of deaf education, which employs multiple means of communication including sign language and other modes, as necessary for each child.

Technology

TTY phones and closed caption TVs were used in the 1970s, more recently video phones, interactive whiteboards and computer assisted learning. Currently, all students are assigned a notebook computer for use in the classroom and, for high school students, for home use as well.

Organization

NYSD is a private, tax-exempt non-profit organization under article 501(c)(3) of U.S. law.

Distinguished alumni and visitors

• Bernard Bragg - deaf performer, writer, director, poet, and artist
• De Witt Clinton - 1st President of the Board of Trustees
• Samuel Morse trustee, 1861-1863
• Helen Keller visited the school as a teenager in 1893, chaperoned by her friend Alexander Graham Bell

References

External links

• Media related to New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb at Wikimedia Commons