At ASDB, Challenge is Part of the Curriculum

School of New Horizons At ASDB, challenge is part of the curriculum

By Edward L. Averitt, Jr. Photographs by Clarence Tabb, Jr.

Perspiration and tension percolated from Dan's body as he ever so cautiously worked his way down the face of the cliff. One hundred feet below him flowed the spark-ling turquoise waters of Havasu Creek in the Grand Canyon. Gently his hands searched for the chains and spikes placed there many years before. Foot by foot, he made his way down. When he finally got to the bottom, he said, calmly, "I didn't see anything so bad about that."

Those of us waiting below were relieved and excited in the same moment. Dan is totally blind.

Participation in such activities is not unusual for students at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB). As a matter of fact, visual or hearing impairments today are no longer considered the barriers to a complete education that they once were. And that includes the enjoyment of and participation in sports. Some facts:

Canyon to the North Rim in one day. All the students were visually impaired.)

Achievements like these were probably not in the mind of Henry C. White when he moved from Boston to Phoenix in 1911. White, who lost his hearing at the age of four, had been instrumental in establishing the New England Home for Deaf Mutes, Aged, Infirm, or Blind and the Utah School for the Deaf. When he arrived in Phoenix, his purpose was to establish a school for the deaf in Arizona.

Arizona's first state legislature in 1912 enacted a provision that the education of "persons afflicted with... deafness or blindness shall be the responsibility of the state university." White was appointed principal of the school by Governor George W. P. Hunt, and classes began in October, 1912. Nineteen deaf children were the first students, and classes were held in a converted residence on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Over the years, the school continued to grow, eventually becoming a public corporation governed by a board of directors. Modernization of the physical plant, growth of the curriculum, and enhancement of the learning opportunities have continued to prosper under the leadership of the current superintendent, Dr. Barry Griffing.

Henry White would hardly recognize what his efforts seventy-five years ago have achieved. What began as a small department of the UofA is now a multifaceted state agency serving more than 1300 students throughout Arizona. Over the past four years, students who completed programs at ASDB went on to gainful employment or additional training and education at a rate of about eighty-seven percent.For educational purposes, the school is divided into two departments: the Department for the Deaf and the Department for the Visually Impaired. Interaction among students from the two areas occurs on athletic teams, during some extracurricular activities, and around the campus in general. Many deaf students are able to use their voices effectively; others are not. Approximately three of four visually impaired students have some usable vision and are able to distinguish sign language. Many of those students either learn to sign on their own or participate in a class that is occasionally offered. In general, interaction between a totally deaf and a totally blind youngster is most difficult.

To fulfill its mission of preparing children for the real world, ASDB has a main campus in Tucson for day and residential students and also operates the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, the Arizona Diagnostic Testing and Education Center in Tucson, and preschools in Tucson, Flagstaff, Chandler, and Phoenix.Through these programs and facilities the children receive a multitude of services to meet modern-day needs. For example, all students have access to a computer laboratory. For low-vision students, larger monitor screens with enlarged characters are available. For blind students, some computers have voice capability. A Vocational Program focuses on career exploration and job readiness skills, while a Work Education Program offers on-campus and off-campus job opportunities.

Students learn about living independently in their own communities and pursuing productive lives through an Independent Living Program. And an Outdoor Education Program lets them learn more about themselves while promoting self-esteem through fishing, bicycle riding, skiing, backpacking, canoeing, and rock climbing.

Arizona's impaired students have been well served by ASDB during its first seventy-five years. And while it's difficult to predict what the next three-quarters of a century will bring, one thing is clear: ASDB is committed to providing the highest quality education for our children. None deserves any less.