The Offenses of Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell is often credited with inventing the telephone, but his legacy is not without controversy. One of the most significant criticisms of Bell is his attitude and actions towards the deaf community. Here are some of the critical offenses of Alexander Graham Bell against the Deaf:

• Bell was a strong advocate for oralism, the practice of teaching Deaf individuals to speak and lip-read rather than using sign language. He believed that sign language was a primitive and inferior form of communication, and argued that Deaf individuals could be assimilated into society more easily if they were taught to speak and lip-read. This attitude was in stark contrast to the views of many Deaf individuals and their advocates, who believed that sign language was a natural and rich form of communication, and that Deaf individuals should be free to use it without interference.
• Bell was a vocal opponent of deaf education. He believed that Deaf individuals should not be educated in separate schools, but should be integrated into mainstream schools and taught to speak and lip-read. This view was at odds with the practice of many Deaf educators, who believed that Deaf individuals could be more effectively educated in separate schools where they could use sign language and other visual communication methods.
• Bell was a fierce critic of…