1880 Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf

The 1880 Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf was a pivotal meeting in which educators and experts in deaf education gathered to discuss teaching methods. The most significant outcome was the widespread endorsement of oralism—the approach emphasizing speech and lip-reading—over sign language. This decision led to a shift in how deaf students were taught, prioritizing speech development and often reducing the use of sign language in classrooms, which had long-lasting effects on deaf education practices, policies, and cultural identity in the United States.