Introduction to the keys to the educational policies for deaf education in Spain (XIX-XX)

Abstract

The article is a basic reflection on the educational policies of the governments of Spain between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 21st century, on the teaching of the deaf in a school context. With this objective, two of its most representative values have been taken from these policies: the linguistic code of access to the curriculum; oral language or sign languages for deaf girls and boys, and the policies of distribution and redistribution that connects with equity, for the group of deaf women.
The oralization of deaf people has historically been the predominant and constant value in educational policies and even accepted by society as socially democratic and essential for the integration of the deaf. Also, with equal or equivalent values, the access to the curricula of the educational stages with the sign languages propitiate hopeful educational policies for a sector of the deaf people. The values related to equity, especially with deaf girls and women, have been irregular, incomplete, and deficient in their application.
The article presents in a documented way a set of ideas that describe how the different administrations and governments have contemplated deaf education.