Among Twists in Budget Woes, Tensions Over Teaching the Deaf

Budget cuts have forced a sensitive issue to the forefront of Indiana politics: deaf education. As the state school for the deaf juggles financial difficulties, Deaf advocates worry about the effect that budget cuts will have on the state’s deaf children—primarily, the lack of access to a strong linguistic and cultural foundation in American Sign Language. Many of the parents themselves are unsatisfied with some of the newly-appointed school board members for several reasons. However, proponents of spoken language in deaf education point out the cost-effectiveness of mainstreaming and the success of cochlear implants. Nevertheless, with a worsening economy forcing budget cuts in several states, the future of deaf education remains uncertain.

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