ABSTRACT
Early educational establishments for the deaf, in common with orphanages and the poor house, gave their children vocational training. These were commonly carpentry, shoe repairing and other manual trades for the boys; needle-work, laundering and housekeeping skills for the girls. Those destined to live in the country would be expected to become farm labourers, alongside many of their kinsfolk. As a greater variety of opportunities became available for the population at large, the range of possible occupations for the hearing impaired expanded accordingly. There remain a number of jobs which are not suitable for anyone with severe hearing impairment.
