. // 1(ji IEtO~IR1G II A S ID IE A IF . OFFICIAL PROJECT NO. 665 - 34- 3 - 90 WORK PROJECTS .ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGIA GEORGIA'S DE AF 1940 Published by Georgia State DepartJ.nent of Public Welfare, Sponsor as a Report on U. S. Work Projects Administration Official Project Number 665-34-3-90 Thomas W. Ande:r-son State Supervisor FOREWORD No study that entails a ~eat amount of public research can be successfully culminated by just one, or even a few individuals. Cooperation between individual workers, supervisory personnel and assistance frora the public at large must be had in order to attain the desired goal. Appreciation for their valuable assistance is hereby expressed to the officials of the State School for the Deaf, the officials of the Georgia Deaf Association, and the Directors of the local County Welfare Departments. Acknowledgment is also made to the various sheriffs, ordinaries, ministers, school teachers, health officials, and the Post Office Department and its rural carriers for their cooperation. The newspapers of Georgia contributed greatly to the success of the work by allotting free space in their columns for the solicitation of needed information regarding deaf persons. This and other contributions of service and information by interested and willing persons made th~s report possible. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I The Deaf CF.APTER II Location CHAPTER III Education CHAPTER rv Occupations SUMMARY. APPE'NDIX A Scope and Method APPENDIX B Supplementary Tables Page l 3 7 11 18 24 29 33 LIST OF NARRATIVE TABLES AND C~ARTS TABLES CHAPTER I - THE DEAF Table I Deaf Persons by Race and Sex Table II Deaf Persons by Aee Distribution Table III Deaf Persons by !.Tarital Status Table IV Deaf Persons by Age Deafness Occurred Table v Deaf Persons by Cause of Deafuess by Hace CHAPTER II - LOCATim~ Table VI Deaf Persons by Residence and Race. CHAPTER III - EDDCATION Table VII Deaf Persons by Type of School Attended Table VIII Deaf Persons by Length of Attendance at Deaf School by Ra~A Table IX Deaf School Training Compared to Present Occupation Table X Deaf Trained at Deaf School Compared to Present Occupation. CHAPTER IV - OCCUPATIONS Table XI Deaf Persons by Present Occupation of all Persons Bmployed by Race. Table XII Deaf Persons by Occupations and School Attended Page 3 4 5 5 5 7 12 14 14 15 19 22 CHARTS CHAPTER I - THE DEAF Chart l Fifteen Most Frequent Causes of Deafness . 4 CHAPTER II - LOCATION Chart 2 Deafness Per J.,000 Population. 8 Chart 3 Distribution of Counties by Deaf Persons 9 CHAPTER III - EDUCATION Chart 4 Length Hearing School Attended 12 CHAPTER IV - OCCUPATIONS Exhibit 1 Occupations - by sex 21 LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES Table 1 Deaf Persons by Counties and by Race and Sex Table 2 Deaf Persons by Place of Birth and County of Present Residence. Table 3 Deaf Persons by Method of Communication Table 4 Deaf Persons by Dependents in Family Table 5 Deaf Persons by Number Born Out of State Table 6 Deaf Persons by Members Immediate Family Reporting Deafness Table 7 Deaf Persons by Most Frequent Illnesses Causing Deafness Table 8 Deaf Persons by Age When Deafness Occurred. Table 9 Deaf Persons by Other Handicaps Table 10 Deaf Persons by Urban and Rural Distribution Table 11 Deaf Persons by Marital Status. Table 12 Deaf Persons by Source of Support Table 13 Deaf Persons by Education Completed Table 14 Deaf Persons by Education in Hearing School Table 15 Deaf Persons by Occupations Table 16 Deaf Persons by Occupations and by Education in Deaf School Table 17 Deaf Persons by Occupations and by Education in Hearing School. Table 18 Deaf Persons by Occupations and by Age Groups Page 33 34 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 37 37 37 38 40 40 40 INTRODUCTION In the following pages are presented the findings of the Survey of the Deaf in Georgia. The data were collected to provide the Georgia State Department of Public Welfare with the facts on which a coordinated program to aid the deaf in the State could be organized. This report does not attempt, nor was it designed, to make recommendations for the prevention, cure or disposition of the problems existing among the deaf. Instead, it is restricted to a general survey of the number of deaf in the State, their age, marital status, education, present residence, place of birth, present occupation, etc. In 1935, the Federal government enacted laws that provided for the matching of Federal funds with state and county funds to finance assistance to the aged, to dependent children, and to the blind. These laws are generally known as the Social Security Laws. The Georgia Legislature was quick to take advantage of this opportunity to provide aid to the State's handicapped and passed the necessary laws providing for the collection and administration of funds for this purpose. These laws were passed in 1937 and created the present State Department of Public Welfare, which directly controls all welfare activities in the State. However, no provision for monetary assistance to handicapped deaf persons was included in the laws setting up the State Welfare Department. While it is apparent that the handicap of a blind or crippled person is more obvious, it is also apparent that a deaf person's handicap may be a great misfortune and hindrance to self-independence. Seldom, however, does a deaf person seek assistance in the form of charity, and this may explain the lack of any provisions for monetary assistance in the Social Security programs of the State and Federal govern.~enta. But this has not meant that the Georgia Department of Public Welfare has not been fully aware of the plight of the deaf. On numerous occasions, the Governor of Georgia, the Welfare Department and other interested persons have been approached by members of the Georgia Deaf Association for assistance. These appeals have not been for monetary relief, but for the formation of a board or commission of experienced and sympathetic persons familiar with the problems of the deaf. The purpose of this proposed body would be that of (1) contacting and encouraging business officials to provide employment for deaf persons, (2) keeping a complete and up-to-date system of records on all deaf persona in the State, including information as to their health, education and employment history, and (3) coordinating the services of the State Department of Public Welfare and the Georgia School for the Deaf at Cave Spring. Realizing the importance of such work, but being confronted with the lack of information about the deaf in Georgia, the Governor requested the Welfare Department to apply to the Work Projects Administration for a project to make a complete survey of the deaf in the State. Applicationfor the project was made in June, 1938, the project was subsequently approved, and operations were begun the following 15th of December. The Survey was operated under the supervision of Thomas W. Anderson from December, 1938, to November, 1939, under the general direction of l.'ilton w. Blanton, Coordinator of Research and Statistical projects for the Work Projects Administration of Georgia. -l - Chapter I Tl-IE DEAF For the purpose of this Survey of the Deaf in Georgia, a deaf person was defined as one who was at least 90 per cent deaf and used signs or lip reading instead of speech for com,1Unication. weight by the fact that of the 334 deaf persons under 15 years of age, 75 per cent were white and 25 per cent were Negro. (See Table II.) Thou$ it is possible that the methods used A larger number of persons falling in this clas- to locate and enwnerate the deaf were not as ef- sification than had been anticipated was found fective for Negroes as for white persons, equal by the Survey, which covered every county in the State. The total number located and enumeratea was 2,358, an average of 0.8 deaf persons per 1,000 population. It had been thought that the rate would be more nearly 0.5 deaf persons per 1,000 population, or approximately 1,500 persons for the entire State. (See Table I.) The ratio of white deaf persons to colored deaf persons was about ,lne per cent higher than the ratio of the population between the two races. Of the total number of deaf persons, 1,701, or 72.1 per cent, were white, while 657 persons, or 27.9 per cent were Negro. The ratio of white to Negro population according to the 1930 census was 63.2 per cent white and 36.8 per cent TABLE I DEAF PERSONS BY RACE AND SEX GEORGIA - 1939 Total Num- Per Sex ber Cent Male 1,194 50.6 Female 1,164 49.4 TOTAL 2,358 100.0 Race White Colored Num.- Per Num- Per ber Cent ber Cent 885 52 .o 309 47.0 816 48.0 348 53.0 1,701 100.0 657 100.0 efforts were exerted for both races and it is believed that this factor would not materially alter the figures. However, headway was gained toward enumeration of white deaf persons from the records of the Georgia Deaf Association, Negro. At first thought, it might be expected that the ratio of Negro deaf persons to the Negro while the absence of any such organization for Negroes made enwneration of this race somewhat more dif'ficult. population would be as great, if not greater, than for the white group, especially since the Further substantiation of the theory that there was a larger number of white deaf persons primary causes o~ deafness would be expected to due to survival of diseases is given in Chart 1, show a greater incidence among Negroes. This, however, was not the case, the rate for the whites being higher. The most logical reason for the higher rate among white persons is that the white child receives better attention and medical care when certain diseases known to cause deafness are contracted. Naturally, then, the white child survives, even though handicapped with loss of hearing, whereas, the Negro which shows the fifteen causes of deafness from illnesses most frequently reported. In the list of illnesses it will be noted that meningitis is reported 101 times, 70 times for white persons and 31 for Negroes. Catarrh is next, being reported 95 times, 83 times for white persons and only 12 for Negroes. This is a ratio of seven to one. Scarlet fever, a highly contagious disease, is reported 54 times, 49 times for whites child does not survive - thus eliminating the and only five times for Negroes. This is a ra- handicap. This explanation is given added tio of ten to one. White persons led the total - 3- for the most frequent causes of deafness by a Table 6, Number of Deaf Persons in Family.) majority of approximately four to one. (See Ta- Only 96 Neero families reported more than ble 7, Appendix.) one deaf person in the family. The largest Of the 2,358 deaf persons enumerated, group was 63 Negro families that reported two 1,194, or 50.6 per cent, were males and 1,164 deaf persons. One Negro family reported seven or 49.4 per cent, were females. Here the dif- or more deaf persons. The immediate family was ILLNESSES MOST FREQUENTLY CAUSING DEAFNESS WHITE ANO COLOR.ED GEORGIA - I 939 DISEASE NUMBER PERSONS '20 40 '-0 80 100 MENINGITIS CATARRH ABSCESS INFLUENZA SCARLET FEVER MEASLES TYPHOID FEVER WHOOPING COUGH PARALYSIS l'NEUMONIA ~ MALARIA MASTOIDITIS i MUMPS DIPHTHERIA INFANTILE PARALYSIS CHART NO.I WMITf. , _ tlo~ 0.1". "~"GS~"~.40":6!"1. ~ ference in ratio from the general population was negligible. Of the white deaf persons, 885, or 52.0 per cent, were males and 816, or 48.0 per cent, were females; of the Negro deaf persons 309, or 47.0 per cent, were males and 348, or 53 per cent, were females. When the enumeration was made, the question was asked, "Are there any other deaf persons in the innnediate :f"amily?" This was done in order considered to be husband or wife, sons and daughters, brothers or sisters, parents and grandparents. In comparing the marital status of deaf persons with that of the general population in the State, it was found that of the 2,358 deaf persons only 1,043, or 44.2 per cent, were either married or had been married at one time. (See Table III.) The percentage for the general population in 1930 was 67.l per cent. rt,ese figures substantiate the natural assumption that the marital rate among the deaf would be lower than that of the general population. Any seri- TABLE II AGE DISTRIBUTION OF DEAF PERSONS GEORGIA - 1930 Age Groups Total Num- :Per ber Cent White Num- Per ber Cent Under 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 21 22 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 and Over Unknown 37 l.6 120 5.1 177 7.5 191 8.1 135 5.7 104 4.4 216 9.2 199 8.4 279 11.8 290 12.3 197 8.4 225 9.5 183 7.8 5 .2 25 l.5 94 5.5 131 7.7 125 7.3 99 5.8 69 4.1 147 8.'3 146 8.6 204 12.0 217 12.8 153 9.0 155 9.1 131 7.7 5 .3 TOTAL 2,358 100.0 1,701 100.0 Negro Num- Per ber Cent 12 l.8 26 4.0 46 7.0 66 10.0 36 5.5 35 5.3 69 10.5 53 8.1 75 11.4 73 ll.l 44 6.7 70 10.7 52 7.9 657 100.0 to gain some idea of the incidence of deafness ous handicap, such as .blindness, crippled condi- among families. A total of 554 white families tion or deafness, often precludes economic inde- reported more than one deaf person in the fami- pendence, and in this connection it should be ly. The largest group, 369, was those fSlJli- considered that a large proportion of the deaf lies with two deaf persons. There were 113 had been so since birth, or became deaf before white families with three deaf persons, 39 white reaching a marriageable age. families with four deaf persons, 28 white fami- Of the total persons included in the Survey lies with five deaf persons, three white families with six deaf persons anti two white families 1,067, or 45.3 per cent, were reported to have been born deaf. Another 401, or 17 per cent, with seven or more deaf persons. (See Appendix reported that they became deaf before reaching - 4- the age of five, and 147, or 6.2 per cent, after reaching the age of five but before reaching the age o~ nine. (See Table IV.) A total of 1,794, or 76.l per cent, were either born deaf or becarae deaf before reaching the age of 20. These figures show that a great majority of persons deaf at present have been deaf most of their lives. Disregarding those persons who were born deaf, it can be seen from Table IV that 401 persons became deaf before reaching the age of five. It would be safe to assume that a majority of these persons became deaf because of infant or childhood diseases, such as whoopingcough, scarlet fever, mumps, and measles, or TABLE III DEAF PERSONS BY MARITAL STATUS GEORGIA - 1939 can be seen that the 525 persons under 20 years of age have little or no chance of employment. There were 1,223 deaf persons in the age g~oup of 20 to 55, or 51.9 per cent of the total numTABLE IV DEAF PERSONS BY AGE WHEN DEAFNESS OCCURRED GEORGIA - 1939 Age When Deafness Occurred Number Per Cent Congenital Under 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 and Over Unknown TOTAL ber. This group, it 1,067 401 147 96 83 77 49 53 95 100 73 59 30 28 45.2 17.0 6.2 4.1 3.6 3.3 2.1 2.2 4.0 4.2 3.l 2.5 1.3 1.2 2,358 100.0 is believed, possessed tht greatest element of employability. Marital Status Total Num- Per ber Cent Race White Colored Num- Per Num- Per ber Cent ber Cent Single 1,315 55.8 944 55.5 371 56.5 Married 696 29.5 554 32.6 142 21.6 Separated 80 3.4 41 2.4 39 5.9 Widowed 267 11.3 162 9.5 105 16.0 TOTAL 2,358 100.0 1,701 100.0 657 100.0 from abscesses, meningitis, etc. In recent years, rapid strides have been made in the care and prevention of infant and childhood diseases causing deafness. With increased use of audi- ometer tests, health examinations and clinics for the removal of bad teeth, tonsils and ade- noids, the possibility of a general decline in the incidence of deafness before five years of However, it should be recalled that a great majority of the present deaf population have been deaf most of their lives. This of itself would necessitate discounting somewhat the 51.9 TABLE V CAUSE OF DEAFNESS BY RACE GEORGIA - 1939 Cause of Hearing Loss Total Num- Per ber Cent White Colored Num- Per Num- Per ber Cent ber Cent Unknown 382 16.2 273 16.0 l.09 16.6 Congenital l,067 45.2 Illness 764 32.4 751 44.1 316 48.1 581 34.2 183 27.9 Accident Old Age 105 4.5 40 1.7 74 4.4 31 4.7 22 1.3 18 l. 'l TOTAL 2,358 100.0 1,701 100.0 657 100.0 per cent mentioned above. It is obvious that age is encouraging. deafness occurring at birth or at an early age It is obvious that age is an important fac- is a difficult handicap in obtaining an educa- tor in the study of the employability of deaf tion and in learning a trade or profession. persons. In Table II it is shown that 525 deaf A total of 382 persons, or 16.2 per cent of persons, or 22.3 per cent of all the deaf, are those enumerated, reported tllat they did not under 20 years of age. It is also shown that know the cause of their deafness, while l,067 l,458 deaf persons, or 61.8 per cent, were under persons, or 45.2 per cent, stated that they were 45 years of age. With the ages between 20 and congenitally deaf. (See Table V.) It seems 55 offering the greatest chance of employment,it very probable that at least some of the 1,067 - 5- persons who listed the cause as unknown might fall into the congenital classification if their cases could be traced. Illness accounted for the next largest number of causes for deafness. Thirty-two and four-tenths per cent, or 764 persons, gave this as the cause of their impairment. Accidents accounted for loss of hearing in 4.5 per cent, or 105 persons, while only 40 or 1.7 per cent, reported old age as the cause of their deafness. The greatest variation between white and Negro persons was illness. In this class the percentage for white persons was 34.1 and for Negroes 27.8 per cent. The regroes had a higher percentage for congenital deafness, namely, 48.1 per cent, as against 44.1 per cent for white persons with congenital deafness. Only 403, or 17.1 per cent, of the 2,358 total deaf persons in the Survey reported handicaps other than deafness. Almost one-half, or 186 of these were listed as miscellaneous, which included such general terms as rheumatism, old age, high blood pressure and heart trouble. Forty-eight deaf persons were blind and 98 were crippled. It is quite possible that there were some persons having handicaps who were not reported. Had it been possible to have had a more thorough investigation it is also likely that a much larger number than 55 persons would have been reported as mentally deficient. (See Appendix Table 9.) - 6- C h a p t e r JI LOCATION Unlike some other types of heal th surveys had an average deaf rate below that for the which show a predominance :if certain diseases in State. Conseo.uently, if the three remaining ur- certain sections, the Survey of the reaf in ban counties were to be treated as a separate Georgia showed no such resi:.lt. 'rhe deaf of group a rate of 1.2' per 1,000 populE-tion would Georgia are not strangers to e.n~ locality. They are represented in all but four of the 159 counties in the State (Schley in the lcwer middle western part of the State; Union in the extreme north_, and Ecr.ols and Charlton in the extreir.e south). However, nearly all sections of the State have counties in which there are high rates of deafness, and, at the same time, counties in which the deaf rate is low. (See Chart 2.) Only sixteen counties have an average cf o.e deaf persons per 1,000 population, the sru:JC TABLE VI RESIDW-WE 01', DEAF PERSONS BY RACE GEORGIA - 1939 Race 1f1hite Negro TOTAL Total Num- Per ber Cent 1,701 72.1 657 27 .9 2,358 100.0 Residence Urban Rural Num- Per Num- Per ber Cent ber Cent 517 64.5 1,184 76.1 285 35.5 372 23.9 802 100.0 1,556 100.0 be had, or more than fifty per cent above the rnte for the entire State. as the average for the State. A total of 99 !n the six urban counties mentioned there counties reported an ayerage 1ess than that of were 802 deaf persons, or 34 per cent of' the the State, while the four counties mentioned State total. These were divided into 517, or above failed to report the presence of even one 64.5 per cent, white persons and. 285, or 35.5 deaf person. Four other counties, the Survey per cent, Hegroes. (See Table '!I.) The diver- disclosed. had only one deaf' perscn aach. eence in the rat1o of white to colored deaf per- The rate of deafness for 43 counties ranged sons in the rural counties is more marked. from O.l to 0.4 deaf persons per 1,000 popula- There were 1, 556 ri1ral deaf persons in the State tion, and of 77 counties from 0.5 to 0.3 deaf of whom 1,184 persons, or ?6.1 p;,r cent, were persons per l,000 population. Twenty-three white, and 372 persons, or 23.8 per cent, were counties had a rate of 1.0 to 1.4, while seven Negro. counties had rates ranging from 1.5 to 1.9. The rate of the white deafness in the six Two counties reported rates of 2.0 or higher -- urban counties vms 64. 5 per cent, while the rate Clay and Coolr, with rates of 2.0 and 2.7 deaf of white deafness for the State as a whole was persons per 1,000 population, respect1.vely. 72.1 per cent. This presents a lower rate of (These rate groupings are shmm in Chart 3.) about eight per cent for the white population in In six predominantly urban counties, Bibb, the urban sections. Chatham, DeKalb, Fulton, l.:uscogee and Richr.1ond, The rate of r!egro urban deafness was 35.5 the average rate of deaf persons per 1,000 popu- per cent, while the State rate for this eroup lation was 1.1 as compared to the lower rate of was 2"/. 9 per cent. 'l'his shows that urban Eegro 0.8 for the entire State. Three of ~chese urban deafness was nearly eight per cent higher than counties, however, DeKalb, ltuscogee and Bibb, the State rate. On the other hand. the rate of - 7- DEAF PERSONS PER 1,000 POPULATION BY COUNTIES GEORGIA 1939 LEGEND RATE.S Fil.OM 0.0 THROUGH o:z. ( I ] RATE.S FROM 0 ..3 Tl-\ROUGH 0.5 ~ RATES FROM O.~ THROU6H 0.8 ~ RATES FROM 0.9 THROUGH I. I 11.ATE.S FR.OM 1.2 THROUGH 1.4 RATES J:QOM 1.5 AND OVf.R -~ 11111 II' CHAR\ H0.'2. white deafness in the rural counties was 76.1 per cent, which was four per cent higher than the State average, while the 23.9 per cent rate of Negro rural deafness was four per cent lower than the average Negro rate for the State. (See Table VI.) From these comparisons it can be seen that white deafness in the urban counties was leas er and where the per capita rate of deafness was also higher. (See. Chart 2.) Adjoining the above two areas is the Albany area of 25 extreme south-west Georgia counties. Here we have counties similar to those in the Waycross area. Although some of the State's best agricultural counties are in this section, it is here that the highest rate of deafness in DISTRl&UTION OF COUNTIES &Y DEAF PERSONS PER. 1,000 POPULATION GEORGIA- 1939 DEAF PER.SONS NUMBER OF COUNTIES P,.Ell 11000 POPULl'ITION 10 '20 30 40 50 o.o THA.OUGH 0.'2 II i 0.3 THROUGH 0.5 II O.G THROUGH 0.8 II I 0.9 THR.OUGH 1.1 II 1.2 THll.OUGH 1.4 ~ 1.5 THllOUGH 1. 7 1.8 THROUGH 2.0 2.1 AND OVER.. r I CHART N0.3 ft.U,.O,GI'\. C).f', Ci>~6343~go than the average for the State, while the Negro rate for the same areas was higher. At the same time, the rate of white deafness in the rural areas was relatively greater while the Negro the State is found. The combined average deaf rate for this area is 1.3 deaf persons per 1,000 population. Within the Albany area, a group of three adjoining counties (Colquitt, Brooks, and rate was lower than the State average. However, Lowndes) each have rates of 1.7, and a fourth, in a number of rural counties, the rate of deafness is in excess of the State rate. It is not Cook, has a rate of 2.7 deaf persons per 1,000 population. believed that the factors causing high rates of blindness or other health and social defects, seriously affect the rate of deafness in the It is interesting to note that of the 2,358 persona enumerated, 277 migrated from other states and foreign countries. The bordering different counties. As an example: the 19 counties of the Way- cross area in the extreme southeast section of the State, where for the most part per capita wealth is low, have a combined average deaf rate of 0.4 deaf persons per 1,000 population. Thia rate, which is fifty per cent less than the average for the State, is the same as for the 18 mid-western Georgia counties in the Columbus area where per capita wealth is relatively high- states furnished the largest number of immigrants as follows: Alabruna 67, Florida 23, South Carolina 45, North Carolina 27, and Tennessee 17. A total of 32 states and seven foreign countries, China, Holland, Canada, Germany, Greece, Jugoalavia and Poland are represented. Twenty-five persona did not know in what state they were born, (See Table 5, Appendix.) Another factor of importance is the migration of deaf persona between counties. The Sur- - 9- In studying the educational attainments of the deaf, it should be realized that the education of a deaf person cannot be measured in signs as their only means of communication. The Survey of the Deaf in Georgia enumerat- ed 2,358 persons. In studying the educational EDUCATION OF DEAF PERSONS IN HEARi NG SCHOOLS BY PERCENT WH lTE ANO COLORED PERC.!MT GEORGIA-1039 25C-- . . . Cl"1" 'ZS status of the deaf, those persons under five years of age may be disregarded, since they have not reached school age. This eliminates 25 white persons and 12 Negroes from the total enu- w 1s1 ....-= IOI ~ r~ w 11s ~lo merated, leaving 2,321 deaf persons over five years of age. These were divided into l,676 white persons and 645 Negroes. Of these 2,351 deaf persons, 549, or 23.7 per cent, reported no education whatsoever. This ~5 group of 549 was divided into 274 white persons and 275 Negroes. (See Table VII.) Relatively, I" CM\ "M"B"-'"34'"~''S"'-90 m n n m, 4 Tit 5TM .TH 1 M 7TM 8'TM gn1 10TM I ITM COL"' 0 GRADE COMPLETED LEGE Cl-lART NO. 4- the figure for the Negroes was much greater than the figure for the white persons, although there was a numerical difference between the two of grades completed in school. This is especially only one person. The white persons who reported true when the deaf person has received all his education in a deaf school. Teaching a deaf per- TABLE VII son, who often also cannot speak, is a complicated process. Every fact must be taught indirectly. Even in cases where the intelligence of a deaf pupil is normal or above normal, it may TYPE OF SCHOOL ATTEHDED BY DEAF FIVE YEARS OF AGE OR OVER GEO'-WIA - 1039 take two years to teach the material ordinarily completed in one year by a normal pupil. A person who has attended deaf school for six years or more, therefore, may have a rating, on the normal basis, of no more than one or two grades, while one who has attended for 12 years may have Type of School Total Num- Per ber Cent Deaf School 1,008 43.4 Hearing School 650 28.0 Both 114 4.9 None 549 23.7 White Colored Num- Per Num- Per ber Cent ber Cent 828 49.4 180 27.9 474 28.3 176 27.3 100 6.0 14 2.2 274 16.3 275 42.6 gotten about as far as a normal child who has completed the fifth or sixth grade in "hearing school". Despite these handicaps, the Georgia School TOTAL 2,321 lCO.O 1,676 100.0 645 100.0 no education amounted to 16.4 per cent of the total white persons five years of age or older, for the Deaf helps the pupil to acquire a lan- whereas, the Negroes who reported no education guage, gives instructions in the same subjects connnonly taught in public schools, trains the amounted to 42.6 per cent o~ the total Negroes over five years of age. pupils in suitable vocations, and prepares a few It may be that some of these deaf persons promising students for college. The general aim who reported no education were not completely of the school is to help the deaf child to ad- illiterate. A few may have learned to read and just himself to normal society. Most of the write in some way or other, and a few may even pupils are taught actually to speak and to read lips; others resort to 11 finger spelling" and have learned how to speak. This is highly improbable, however, since they were handicapped - 12 - white deafness in the rural counties was 76.l per cent, which was four per cent higher than the State average, while the 23.9 per cent rate of Negro rural deafness was four per cent lower than the average Negro rate for the State. (See Table VI.) From these comparisons it can be seen that white deafness in the urban counties was less er and where the per capita rate of deafness was also higher. (See Chart 2.) Adjoining the above two areas is the Albany area of 25 extreme south-west Georgia counties. Here we have counties similar to those in the Waycross area. Although some of the State's best agricultural counties are in this section, it is here that the highest rate of deafness in Dl.STRl&UTION OF COUNTIES &Y DEAF PERSONS PER. 1,000 POPULATION GEORGIA-1939 DEAF PERSONS P,.Ell 1,000 POPULATION NUMBER OF COUNTIES 10 '20 30 40 I o.o THROUGH 0.'2 II I 0.3 THROUGH 0.5 II I o." THROUGH 0.8 II I 0.9 THROUGH I .I II I. 2. TH!l.OUGH 1.4 II 1.5 TH~OUGH 1. 7 f.8 THROUGH '2..0 '2.1 AND OVER. ~ CHART N0.3 so 'N.f.A.0' GJ\. ~f'. i;.~534990 than the average for the State, while the Negro the State is found. The combined average deaf rate for the same areas was higher. At the same time, the rate of white deafness in the rural areas was relatively greater while the Negro rate was lower than the State average. However, rate for this area is 1.3 deaf persons per l,000 population. Within the Albany area, a group of three adjoining counties (Colquitt, Brooks, and Lowndes) each have rates of l.7, and a fourth, in a number of rural counties, the rate of deaf- Cook, has a rate of 2.7 deaf persons per 1,000 ness is in excess of the State rate. It is not population. believed that the factors causing high rates of It is interesting to note that of the 2,358 blindness or other health and social defects, seriously affect the rate of deafness in the persons enumerated, 277 migrated from other states and foreign countries. The bordering different counties. states fUrnished the largest number of immi- As an example: the 19 counties of the Way- grants as follows: Alabama 67, Florida 23, cross area in the extreme southeast section of South Carolina 45, North Carolina 27, and Ten- the State, where for the most part per capita wealth is low, have a combined average deaf rate of 0.4 deaf persons per 1,000 population. This rate, which is fifty per cent less than the average for the State, is the same as for the 18 mid-western Georgia counties in the Columbus area where per capita wealth is relatively high- nessee 17. A total of 32 states and seven foreign countries, China, Holland, Canada, Germany, Greece, Jugoslavia and Poland are represented. Twenty-five persons did not know in what state they were born. (See Table 5, Appendix.) Another factor of importance is the migration of deaf persons between counties. The Sur- -9- In studying the educational attainments of the deaf, it should be realized that the education of a deaf person cannot be measured in signs as their only means of communication. The Survey of the Deaf in Georgia enumerat- ed 2,358 persons. In studying the educational EDUCATION OF DEAF PERSONS IN HEARi NG SCHOOLS BY PERCENT WHITE ANO COLORED PERCENT 75,.---- GEORGIA-1939 PU.C.atham 8,9~1 34,272 9,421 4,381 105,431 7 .B 30 .9 3 .3 108 1.0 7 4 3 28 13 15 3 l 2 69 28 41 2 2 39 19 20 Chatta 'chee 8,894 Chattooga 15,407 Cherokee 20,003 Clarke 25,613 Clay 6,943 2 .2 22 1.4 13 .6 17 .7 14 2.0 2 l l 22 12 10 13 7 6 10 l 9 64 2 7 3 4 8 6 2 Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt 10,260 7,015 35,408 19,739 30,62Z 5 .5 2 .3 35 1.0 5 .3 55 1.8 3l 2 2 l l 29 18 ll 4 2 2 53 30 23 2 2 6 3 3 l l 2 2 Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp 8,793 11,311 25,127 7,020 17 ,343 5 .6 31 2.7 23 .9 9 1.3 14 .8 2l l :;;5 13 12 14 8 6 5 3 2 11 5 6 3 2 l 6 3 3 9 3 6 4 l 3 3 l 2 Dade Dawson Decatur DeKalb Dodge 4,146 3,502 23,622 70,278 21,599 7 1.7 3 .9 25 1.1 48 .7 15 .7 5 5 3l 2 21 7 14 42 22 20 84 4 2 2 4 4 6 4 2 7 3 4 Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols 18,025 22,306 9,461 18,::?73 2,744 2 .1 28 1.3 6 .6 21 l.l 2 l l 10 6 4 6 5 l 10 8 2 18 8 10 11 3 e Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evan a Fanni~ 10,164 18,485 24,101 7,102 12,96S 8 .8 15 .8 14 .6 l .1 3 .2 4l 3 10 s 2 12 7 5 3 2 l 4 3 l 5 4 l 2 2 l Fayette Floyd Fotsyth Franklin Fulton 8,665 48,667 10,624 15,902 335,220 5 .6 51 1.0 5 .5 7 .4 433 1.3 4 2 2 42 25 17 5 3 2 6 4 2 2'71 136 135 l 1 9 6 3 l l 162 66 96 Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grll