2.4. Deaf education

This section of the GramLSE provides an overview of deaf education in Spain, from its historical origins to the present day, with special attention to the evolution of pedagogical approaches and the role of sign language.

Until well into the 15th century, throughout much of Europe ,including Spain, deaf people were considered unfit to receive education. The lack of hearing and oral speech was associated with a lack of intelligence. The pioneering work of Pedro Ponce de León (1520–1584) in the 16th century marked a turning point. Subsequently, Juan Pablo Bonet (1573–1633), with his work Reducción de las letras y arte para enseñar a hablar a los mudos (1620), helped consolidate an educational approach focused on teaching speech.

Despite early attempts to incorporate gestural methods, oralism became the dominant approach, especially after the Congress of Milan in 1880. This congress banned the use of sign languages in education and led to the expulsion of deaf educators from classrooms. Since then, deaf education has been marked by polarized discourse, with significant repercussions for linguistic policies and practices. This tension between the clinical-rehabilitative approach and the sociocultural approach, which advocates for deaf identities and communities, remains present today.

Aroca-Fernández, E. (2025). Socio-historical background: Sign language community: Deaf education. In S. Villameriel García (Ed.), Gramática de la Lengua de Signos Española (GramLSE) / Grammar of Spanish Sign Language (GramLSE). Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad-Centro de Normalización Lingüística de la Lengua de Signos Española. Retrieved Month DD, YYYY, from https://cnlse.es/es/recursos/gramlse/ingles/index/socio-historical-background/sign-language-community/2-4-deaf-education