Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

swung upon its hinges and smut
him in; yet although he stood
w. almost upon the threshold, he
seemed transhXed to the spot
and was unable even to stretch forth
his hand and stay it's closing.
How often we come upon such q
paragraph in a novel of murder or
mystery, where fear paralyzes the
hero into such involuntary acceptance
of imprisonment. But. figuratively
speaking, deafness has the same bale
full influence in shutting it's victim
away from the social contacts so es-
sential to human happiness, as we'll as
from opportunities for personal ad-
vancement in his business or profess
sion, If not actually from any but the
poorest paid and most mental classes
of work.
Civilization has undeniably pro-
crossed since the remote period when
the Greeks did away" with their
physically incapacitated, and since. the
subsequent Middle Ages, when the
deaf and others handicapped by loss
of some faculty had little choice but
to beg at church doors and on street
corners for their meager subsistence.
Since the seventeenth century isolated
efforts have been made to relieve the
condition of the deafened, and these
early activities laid firm foundations
+, for later work along the same lines.
Existence Was Drab.
Yet nearly all of us can remember
| back not so many years when the per-
! son incapacitated in any degree by
deafness seemed to drop out of the
world and drag out ii colorless exist
ence as unobtrusively as possible in
l, .,f l. l.,
| force, most charitable relative. Not
| one Of us but can recall the drab, deaf
ened member of some household. if not
! our own, who slipped noiselessly into
! the dining room at meal times. took
no part in the conversation beyond
wistful glance around now and then,
| and afterward disappeared to a remote
part of the house to find solace in the
! daily papers or companionship with
| standard authors. There were, OF
| course, embattled exceptions to this
limeek type-determined persons who
| carried thick writing tablets and stout
pencils with them, and demanded a
! transcription of every word, hating
| the progress of conversation and caus-
| ing widespread relief when they de-
| parted.
Occasionally there would be one
who. by means OF an exceptionally
alert mind and a native aptitude for
reading the lips. had managed to over
come the handicap to. some extent.
But the great majority of the deaf
ened were obliged to accept their cir
cumstances with whatever fortitude
they could muster. When it is remem-
bered that deafness has always been
extensive, the number of victims who
have necessarily been financial bur-
dens upon their families or on the
community, i'll addition to being losses
to themselves. must be appalling.
But the American Federation of Or
CARNATIONS for the Hard Of Hearing
is outstanding proof of the fact that
these conditions have changed: that a
door of escape is opened to the deaf
loened. Realizing the truth of the OLD
adage, I'm union there is strength,
the deafened have banded together in
this organization during the past few
years to change their unsatisfactory
status and to take their places in the
world as self-supporting individuals.
whose ability to participate in social
and economic affairs is little less than
that of the normal person.
Headquarters Are Here.
The federation-s headquarters are
very appropriately located in the Ma
tional Capital, at the Volta Bureau. on
Thirty-fifth street. that monument to
the far-reaching philanthropy of Alex.
ander Graham Bell. The federation
was founded in 1919 BY DR.. Wendell
c. Phillips of New York City. an otOlo-
gist. who had some years before joined
the New York League for the Hard of
Hearing, the first of the local Organi-
cations to improve the status of the
deafened.
1t must be understood at the outset
that there is a distinct difference be-
tween the deafened person and the
deaf mute. The latter was either born
deaf or became totally so as a child,
at too early an age to remember
speech: hence his mental development
neceSsitated other methods altogether
from those used in training the nor
NAL child. The problems of the deaf
mute have been satisfactorily solved
by such schools as Gallaudet College
in this city.
But the deafened person has had
normal mental development. Deafness
has been as accidental as the loss of
a leg or arm, and adjustment to such
handicap is invariably difficult. The
problems of the deafened may be di-
vided into several grOupS-scientific
is these with which the federation is
concerned.
Scientific problems call for constant
medical research and experimentation
to perfect methods of treatment for
deafness, which will alleviate 1t, if pos
sible, or at least arrest it's progress.
The federation enlists the aid of otolo-
giSts throughout the country, whose
cooperation has been of incalculabte
value. Aside from the deafened, these
physicians form the largest member
ship class, and so far have furnished
all of the federation's presidents.
When 1t is remembered that con-
sentative estimates reveal 25 per cent
of the. entire population of the United
States, or one out of every four per-
sons, suffering from deafness in some
degree, the need for such scientific
work is evident.
Work Among Children.
The federation's work among the
public school children is by far the
most important of all it's activities.
1t is making nationwide surveys,
whiali to date have revealed from 3
per cent to per cent, or about 1,000,-
900 children, with incipient deafness.
In many instances it may be cured If
apprehended and treated in time; yet
ignorance in this respect, a general
failure to even recognize the trouble
as impaired hearing, has caused the
little ones untold suffering. These
youngsters could not keep up with
their classes, would be kept back year
after year, and have generally been
considered dull witted. The more Sc.
we're cases would be recognized as
deaf and reJegated to deaf mute
schools. and thus an additional handi.
cap was imposed. For the child who
has had a normal growth invariably
finds it depressing to be segregated
with those who can hear nothing and
WhnSa articulation is Snhnnrmal at