1. Professions and vocational education of the deaf

For generations, deaf people have had to fight against prejudice and the belief that certain professions would not be suitable for them. However, they have proven the opposite with their actions, conquering one profession after another.

At the end of the 19th century, the majority of the deaf earned their livelihood from agriculture or the crafts industry. Handicrafts were introduced at schools for the deaf, and many deaf people acquired a craft by working as apprentices to craftsmen. Some ambitiously sought other professions and became teachers or photographers, for example. Some also applied to art schools and found work in the arts industries.

Information on the professions of the deaf in the early 20th century can be found on the membership registers of various associations, for example. In Helsinki, deaf people mainly worked as artisans, domestic workers, and factory and construction workers. The first report on the professions of the deaf was conducted in 1939. At that time, the majority worked as agricultural, craft and industrial workers. Men most commonly worked as carpenters, shoemakers and bookbinders, while women took jobs as maids, seamstresses and housekeepers.

During the era of oralism, deaf schools aimed to assimilate deaf students into the hearing community. At the time, it was thought that deaf people did not need separate vocational training specifically aimed at them. Learning practical skills was considered more important. Deaf students were expected to manage in mainstream schools because they could speak and read lips.

However, the basic education provided by deaf schools did not equip the students with sufficient professional skills, and further education and training opportunities were very limited. However, short follow-up courses were held as early as the 1890s.

A few private vocational schools that provided better learning opportunities for the deaf were established in the early 20th century. These included the Nikkarila School of Home Economics for deaf girls, and Oy Surdus Ab, a combined printing house and graphic industry vocational school established by the deaf themselves. In addition, in the early 20th century, the deaf also received training in carpentry, horticulture and agriculture.

The establishment of Surdus reopened the debate on vocational education for the deaf. One of the main areas of debate was whether the deaf should have their own vocational school at all. If there were to be a separate school for the deaf, should it prepare the students to become agricultural workers or craftsmen and factory workers? The third question was, which would be more important, general further education or vocational education? In 1944, a law concerning a vocational school for deaf students was approved, and the school opened in Turku in 1948.

According to a study conducted in 1972, the majority of the deaf in the study had received their education from vocational schools for the deaf or other vocational schools, from vocational courses or through apprenticeships. One third had not received any kind of vocational education. The majority worked in the industrial sector, which also included old handicrafts professions. The next largest employment industries included agriculture, forestry and the service sector. New professions in the field of data processing were already present in the study, as 20 of the participants were keypunch operators.

According to a study carried out in 2000, approximately half of the deaf employees in the study worked in the industrial sector. The next largest employment industries included service, technical, scientific, humanities, art and administrative sectors. 10 per cent worked in the media industry. Social services and healthcare sectors employed approximately 6 per cent of the deaf in the study, while agriculture and forestry employed another 6 per cent.