The Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a non-profit organization, was the primary educational and support services resource for Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents in Vermont and surrounding areas. The Vermont Center, headquartered at Brattleboro’s Austin’s School For The Deaf, was launched by the Austine School in 1998 and operated until 2014. The Austine School was one of four independent schools and twelve outreach programs through which the Vermont Center assisted thousands of Vermonters who had hearing loss.
History
In the late 1800s, U.S. Army Colonel William Austine retired to Brattleboro, Vermont. In his will, the Colonel specified a sum of $50,000 to establish a hospital for the treatment of strangers or local residents with extraordinary circumstances. Complying with this wish and under trusteeship, five local citizens incorporated the Austine Institution in 1904. About this same time, the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital opened and alleviated the need for another medical facility. After debate, the then Vermont Attorney General, who was also the administrator of the Colonel's will, prevailed with his suggestion to open a school for blind and deaf students. Support was gained from the Vermont General Assembly to purchase a farm and in the fall of 1912 the Austine School opened with sixteen students.
In 1914, Alexander Graham Bell delivered Austine School's first commencement address.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the school grew. A new elementary school was added followed by a new high school wing. Soon after, a high school boys dormitory and a high school girls dorm were completed. In 1970, the construction of Vermont Hall upgraded the dormitories for the younger children, added administrative offices, a modern kitchen, dining room and health facility.
In 1975 the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed. This legislation impacted how people with disabilities are educated. The Vermont Center was created to provide statewide, location-based support for deaf education through a statewide consulting network. Additional programs the Austine School had founded over the years to meet the needs of the deaf community beyond the classroom were now grouped under the umbrella of the Vermont Center.
With mainstreaming underway, Austine School saw a marked increase in the percentage of its students who face multiple physical and educational challenges. In response, the William Center was created as a separate school licensed by the Department for Children and Families and housed on the Austine Campus as a residential facility for emotionally disturbed deaf children.
Mission and philosophy
The mission of The Vermont Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Inc. was to provide comprehensive educational and support services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, adults, and families throughout Vermont and surrounding states. This was accomplished through:
The Austine School, in Brattleboro, was an independent, coeducational day and residential school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children age four to twenty two from New England and New York. Striving to prepare students for entry to college and career by making learning relevant to everyday life, the school provided a challenging academic program, sensitive to the individual needs of each student. The ultimate goal for every Austine student was to experience a happy, healthy and successful adulthood.
The William Center, located on the Austine School Campus, was an approved independent school and licensed by the Department for Children and Families as a residential facility for emotionally disturbed deaf children. All students received weekly counseling from a licensed mental health counselor.
The Williston Regional Day Program in Williston, Vermont, was housed within a large public elementary school. It was a day program for Pre/K to grade eight students that utilized both mainstream and specialized curricula. Interpreters accompanied students to all mainstreamed classes.
The Bennington Regional Day Program, in Bennington, Vermont, was a specialized day program much like the Williston Program for Pre/K to grade six students.
These four educational facilities were approved by the Vermont Department of Education and Vermont Department of Children and Families for residential programs.