Gallaudet University
Who We Are
Our Work
Overview
News & Stories
Jan 26, 2023
Jan 19, 2023
Upcoming Events
November 11, 2022
November 17, 2022
November 19, 2022
University Wide Events
No Communication Compromises
Areas of Study
Schools
Programs
Changing the world
Research
Community & Innovation
Research Experiences & Services
Your Journey Starts Here
Study
Learn
Undergraduate Support
Information
Tools & Resources
Explore Our Campus
Connect
Discover
Influence
Dec 9, 2022
Quick Links
Support
Meet the Team
FAQs
Contact
GU
/
Schuchman Documentary Center
Targeting America’s Defectives: the Exclusion of Deaf People from State Sterilization Program
SLCC 1301
(202) 250-2905
(202) 651-5635
Email Us
Harry H. Laughlin, best known as the expert on sterilization in the United States, drafted a sterilization law model for states to consider adopting.
Laughlin identified people with deafness as a target for sterilization. However, none of the states that adopted sterilization laws in the United States included the deaf on the list.
What is the rationale for leaving deaf people out of state eugenics programs?
Why was deafness, a condition typically a category eligible for sterilization, never actually in the law?
This project seeks to explore the processes and rationale behind these practices.
Professor
Targeting America's Defectives: the Exclusion of Deaf People from State Sterilization Program
Brian H. Greenwald, PhD