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Julia BraceDeaf-blind American woman
Date of Birth: 13.06.1807
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Julia Brace
Early Life and EducationJulia Brace was born on June 13, 1807, in Hartford County, Connecticut, to a very poor family. Her father, John Brace, worked as a shoemaker. Despite her humble background, Julia developed normally, and by the age of four and a half, she could read two-syllable words, sew, and help her mother take care of her younger siblings. However, at the age of five, she fell ill with typhus and lost her sight and hearing. Gradually, she stopped speaking and developed a system of gestures to communicate with her parents.
Education at the American School for the Deaf
With the help of local charitable societies, Julia was eventually sent to a specialized school for children with hearing and visual impairments. She was offered a place at the Hartford Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb (now known as the American School for the Deaf). Julia enrolled in the school on June 11, 1825, just two days before her 18th birthday. Although she did not receive formal training, she learned tactile American Sign Language from the deaf students and staff at the Hartford School. Despite being the only blind student, Julia integrated into the school community, made friends, and even had some enemies. She took on various responsibilities, such as doing laundry, washing dishes, and caring for her own clothes. Julia also developed her skills in sewing and knitting.
Life and Legacy
Julia Brace became somewhat of a local celebrity and received many curious visitors. However, these constant interruptions to her daily life seemed to annoy her, and she did not hesitate to express her dissatisfaction. While she had a strong memory for tangible things, she struggled to comprehend abstract concepts, and there was never clear evidence that she understood the idea of God. Julia firmly defended her own rights but never intentionally interfered in the lives of others or deceived anyone. She was kind enough to take care of the sick and became an excellent nurse.
In 1837, Samuel Gridley Howe, an educator from the Perkins School for the Blind, met Julia Brace during a visit to the Hartford School. Inspired by their encounter, Howe went on to teach a seven-year-old blind and deaf girl named Laura Bridgman. After four years of instruction, he achieved great success in educating Laura, and in 1841, he returned to Hartford to take her with him. Despite being 34 years old, Howe believed he could attempt to teach Julia English, just as he had done with Bridgman. However, the experiment proved less successful than he had hoped, as Julia clearly preferred to communicate using sign language. After a year of education, she returned to the Hartford School, where she continued to live until 1860. She then left the school and settled with her sister in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Julia Brace passed away on August 12, 1884, at the age of 77. She was buried in an unmarked grave at the West Hill Cemetery.
