Deaf Studies research at University of Sussex (1968-1977)
The plaque
John Walker
Phillips and Briggs revealing the plaque in 1972
The Special Collection
MacKenzie congratulates Phillips and Briggs
The Special Collection
A research centre in the period of liberation
By John Walker
A Deaf Studies research unit was established at University of Sussex in 1969 and continued until 1977. The research unit was funded by Reginald M. Phillips of Brighton (as he wished to be titled), the work was led by Dr. 'Bill' Watts. The purpose of the research unit was to bring education of deaf children into modern times, especially during a period of technological and cultural revolution.
The 1970's was a period of 'liberation' when the old doctrine was rejected in favour of more innovative practice. It was not a period of 'radicalism', where the old doctrine is replaced by a different/new version, 'liberation' focussed on using current systems and personnel to adopt new methods, as introduced by research of the time.
The old doctrine of 'deaf education' was oralism; a time when children were punished for using their hands to express themselves. The cane was used to discipline children for their attempts to communicate by means other than speech. The new practices adopted alternative methods of communication, including Paget Gorman, Cued Speech, Signed Exact English, Total Communication and MaKaTon. None were natural languages but artificially coded by non-deaf people, or otherwise known as signed systems. The Reginald M. Phillips Deaf Research Unit collaborated with educational institutions and the National College of Teachers of the Deaf.
“About ten children in every 20,000 are deaf or partially deaf, and we believe that much can be done to help them, using audio-visual techniques, programmed learning and other new methods.” (press release, University of Sussex, 1972)
The research unit's main achievements include:
- Development of hearing aids
- Moving towards non-medical research
- Using the technological revolution in educational settings
- Seeing English visually
- Curriculum change
- Community engagement in schools (i.e. no ivory tower research)
- Deaf with other associated disabilities
- Learning materials
- Use of TV and broadcasting to improve access to education
The research unit began in 1969 but it was not launched until October 1972 when a plaque, situated at the bottom of the stairs in Silverstone Building (Education Development Building at the time), was unveiled. Attending the event were:
- B.Philips, Headmaster of school for the partially hearing, Brighton (Ovingdean Hall School).
- B.C.O Jansen, Headmaster of Hamilton Lodge School for the deaf, Brighton.
- A.W. Kettlewell (Retired), Formerly headmaster Royal School for the Deaf, Exeter.
- Q.E. Olding, Headmaster Royal School for the Deaf, Exeter.
- N. Wilkinson, Headmaster St. Thomas School for the Deaf.
- A. Bates, Headmaster Thomason Memorial School for the Deaf, Bolton.
- Gordon Smith, Director, National Deaf Children’s Society, London.
- P. Davie, Chairman, National Deaf children’s society, London.
- R. Sydenham, Director General, Royal National Institute for the Deaf, London.
- M. Reed, Chairman, Royal National Institute for the Deaf, London.
- T. Pursglove, Headmaster, Royal School for the Deaf, Margate.
- M.S. Corbishley, Principal, Mill Hall school for the Deaf, Cuckfield.
- E.H. Osborn-Smith, Medical Audiologist.
- M.A.E. Affleck, Visiting Research Fellow, University of Sussex and New Jersey School for the Deaf, USA.
- M.A. Harvey, Film and Media Producer, Reginald M. Phillips Unit, University of Sussex.
- J.M. Hewlett, Low Hill Laterality Clinic, Eastleigh.
- K.S. Pegg, Head of Department of Further Education of the Deaf, City Literature, London.
- J.K. Reeves, Psychologists and Headmaster, Whitebrook School for the Deaf, Manchester.
- W.J. Watts, Fellow in the Centre for Educational Technology and Deputy Director, University of Sussex.
- J. Tates, Secretary.
- M. Fitch, Secretary, Schools Council project for Deaf pupils.
- J. Hickmett, Research Fellow, University of Sussex.
- C. Murphy, Research Fellow, University of Sussex.
- D.C. Wollman, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sussex.
- D.C. Overend, Research Fellow and joint Co-director.
- N. Wilkinson, Research Fellow.
- A. Briggs, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sussex
At the launch, Dr. 'Bill' Watts presented the Research Unit's objectives:
"The objectives of the Unit were to research in educational technology including problems of human learning, conceptual development, psycholinguistics, curriculum development and media organisation related to the education of deaf, partially hearing and other handicapped children. The priorities for further development were seen to be bound up with individual differences in modes of learning , research into audio-visual systems, aphasia, dyslexia, brain damage, visual and other sensory handicaps. In planning the activities of the Unit, it became clear that attempts to investigate learning and thinking in the handicapped field with particular reference to the hearing impaired, must be integrated with research into the general problems of learning." (Annual Report, 1972)
The perspective of the unit was embedded in the theories detailed by Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development (stages of child development) and the Montessori Method as an educational approach for deaf children (learning through play).
The published work of the unit are:
Watts, W. J. (1976) Deafness, Thought and Language: Psychological and Educational Implications of Deafness. Doctoral Thesis in Development Psychology, University of Sussex
Watts, W. J. (1977) (Ed.), Rehabilitation and acquired deafness. London: Croom Helm.
Watts, W. J. (1979), The Influence of Language on the Development of Quantitative, Spatial and Social Thinking in Deaf Children. American Annals of the Deaf (Vol. 124 n1 p46-56).
Watts, W. J. (1979), Deaf Children and Some Emotional Aspects of Learning. Volta Review (v81 n7 p491-500).
Sources: