Echoes of care : deafness in modern Britain / Jaipreet Virdi.

"In nineteenth and early twentieth century Britain, a profound historical shift saw the public and scientific perception of deafness evolve from a mere auditory difference to a condition in dire need of medical intervention. Though deaf culture and language was steadily emerging by the mid-nineteenth century, the concept of deafness was not yet considered a medical condition in the public eye/in public opinion. Echoes of Care reveals how British aurists (ear specialists) sought to reshape the perception of deafness as a curable affliction. To accomplish this reshaping while navigating a medical landscape fraught with professional rivalries and public distrust about the likelihood of a cure, aurists extended their authority towards sites of intervention--the census, school medical testing, public health, deaf schools--to demonstrate the necessity of specialist care, especially when merged with language training at schools for the deaf. Echoes of Care examines print, visual, object, and archival sources to bring deaf perspectives to light about ways in which deaf people resisted or accepted these prescriptions. Jaipreet Virdi uncovers the underlying issues behind the push for intervention, including access to healthcare, cultural perceptions of disability, and the legacy of eugenics. Echoes of Care confronts the enduring legacy of the medicalization of hearing and its profound implications on deaf history and culture."-- Provided by publisher.