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Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922
Born Edinburgh, Scotland
Inventor Alexander Graham Bell sparked a communications revolution when he patented the telephone in 1876. But Bell considered his work with the deaf to be his true calling. Born to a deaf mother and a father renowned for his work in enunciation, Bell adapted his father's work -- a visual, symbolic alphabet for use in producing spoken sounds -- for use in teaching speech to the deaf. He opened a teacher training school and became a leader in the education of the deaf. Bell's teaching speech to the deaf was not viewed favorably by all; many advocates thought signing was the appropriate language for the hearing-impaired.
Unidentified photographer, c 1895 |