Deaf History: 1981 to Present

The period between 1981 and the second decade of the 21st century has been characterized by significant technological advances in assistive aids for the deaf and by increased public awareness of the need for improved laws that recognize the rights of those with special needs. For the deaf, this recognition has included access to opportunities for advancing education and employment based on abilities rather than false concepts of disabilities. Since 1981, countries around the world have passed new laws mandating improved access, including both communication and physical access. In the United States, Congress and state legislatures have expanded the protections of earlier laws and responded to advancing technologies such as the Internet, digital televisions, cellular telephones, and movie streaming services to enact new laws that ...