Tadoma (method of communication)
Tadoma, also known as the Tadoma Method, is a communication technique designed for individuals who are both deaf and blind. Developed in the 1920s by educator Sophia Alcorn, the method enables users to place their hands on the speaker's face to feel the movements of the lips, cheeks, and throat while speaking. This tactile approach, often referred to as tactile lipreading, allows individuals to gain a better understanding of speech compared to traditional lipreading, as it captures both the physical and vibrational nuances of spoken language. Tadoma was primarily used between the 1920s and 1960s, particularly among those who had lost their hearing or sight later in life, and it contributed to their ability to communicate verbally.
Although the method requires direct physical contact and can be challenging to learn, those who master it can converse effectively and maintain their speech skills. Over time, Tadoma has become less common as alternative communication methods, such as hearing aids and finger spelling, have emerged. Despite its decline, the Tadoma Method remains a significant historical communication tool, with notable users including American author and disability rights advocate Helen Keller. Today, it is employed by only a small number of individuals, reflecting the diverse approaches to communication among those with sensory disabilities.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Tadoma (method of communication)
Tadoma, also known as the Tadoma Method, is a way for people who are deaf and blind to communicate. People who are deaf and blind use their hands to feel the face and throat of the person speaking to them. Tadoma is difficult to learn but it allows individuals who are deaf and blind to have a better understanding of speech. It also helps them learn how to speak.
Overview
The Tadoma method was developed in the 1920s by Sophia Alcorn. Alcorn was an educator who spent her career working with people with vision and hearing impairments. The method is named for Alcorn’s first two Tadoma method students—Winthrop “Tad” Chapman and Oma Simpson.
Tadoma is a relatively uncommon method of communication used by people who are both deaf and blind. It was used mostly between the 1920s and the 1960s before falling out of favor. While it has some distinct advantages, the method is difficult to learn. It also requires direct physical contact between the two people involved in the conversation.
To communicate through the Tadoma method, also called tactile lipreading, the individual who is deaf and blind places their hands on the other person’s face. The thumb rests on the speaker’s lips, three fingers are placed lightly on the cheek, and the little finger rests on the throat. Children and people with smaller hands may use both hands to reach the lips, cheek, and throat.
This allows the individual who is deaf and blind to feel all the key areas of a person’s face involved in speech. They can feel the movements of the lips, cheeks, and jaw, the vibrations of the vocal cords, and the air flowing from the mouth and nose as certain letters are spoken. This combination allows a better understanding of what is being said than regular lipreading. It is also the only way for someone who cannot see to lipread.
The method allows people who are deaf and blind to very precisely feel what the other person is saying. People who become skilled in Tadoma can easily understand and converse with others. It also allows individuals who are blind and lose their hearing later in life to maintain their speech skills.
Alcorn developed the method to help deaf and blind people learn to speak. When she invented it, many children were born able to see and hear but lost their sight or hearing through diseases such as scarlet fever when they were very young. The Tacoma method allowed some individuals who were deaf and blind to develop the ability to speak. The technique fell out of favor in the 1960s as more ways were devised for people with sight and hearing impairments to communicate. These include hearing aids and implants to improve hearing, such as cochlear implants, and large-print video displays for those with some sight. Many people who are deaf and blind also use finger spelling or Print-on-Palm, which uses sign language symbols or traced letters on the palm of the hand to spell out words.
Notably, American author and disability rights advocate Helen Keller used this method. In the twenty-first century, the Tadoma method is used only by a small portion of individuals.
Bibliography
Chilton, Ashlee. “Alcorn Homestead.” ExploreKY History, explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/560. Accessed 25 May 2024.
“The Evolution of Deafblind Communication.” Perkins School for the Blind, www.perkins.org/the-evolution-of-deafblind-communication. Accessed 25 May 2024.
“Frequently Asked Questions About Deaf-Blindness.” American Association of the Deaf-blind, 11 Feb. 2009, www.aadb.org/FAQ/faq‗DeafBlindness.html#communication. Accessed 14 Oct. 2021.
Jablan, Branka Đ., et al. “Tactile Sign Language of People with Deaf-Blindness.” Specijalna Edukacija I Rehabilitacija, vol. 23, no. 1, 2024, pp. 81–93. doi.org/10.5937/specedreh23-44434.
Mohr, Olivia. “Women’s History Month: KSD Teacher Developed Method for Deafblind Students to Learn to Speak.” Advocate-Messenger, 18 Mar. 2021, www.amnews.com/2021/03/18/womens-history-month-ksd-teacher-developed-method-for-deafblind-students-to-learn-to-speak. Accessed 14 Oct. 2021.
Pagliano, Paul. "Reflecting on My Experiences of Teaching Tadoma." Journal of the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment, vol. 7, no. 1, 2014, pp. 37-43. researchonline.jcu.edu.au/38359. Accessed 25 May 2024.
“Tadoma.” Beth David Institute, www.cdb.org.il/en/communication-methods/tadoma. Accessed 14 Oct. 2021.