“Ensinar aos surdos-mudos tão bem como aos que ouvem e falam”: o Instituto Imperial de Surdos-Mudos em questão

This article aims to address the history of the Instituto Imperial de Surdos-Mudos (Imperial Institute for the Deaf Mutes), founded in 1856, and its operation at that time. It seeks to discuss the perception about the deaf people, which was directly influenced by European concepts that were developed and perpetuated throughout Brazil's history. The article aims to demonstrate that the exchange of ideas between Europe and Brazil fostered the creation of a pioneering educational space that sought to adapt teaching models to suit Brazilian realities. An example of this is the focus on meeting the demands of a labor market linked to rural areas, the country's main economic base. Additionally, the article raises the hypothesis that oralism was not a unanimous position among the members of the Institute, shaping a specific trajectory for the education of the deaf people in Brazil. The Institute's collection of official documents was the primary source of this investigation.