We can see how the development of attitudes to deaf people were underpinned by the major forces of Medicine, Education and Religion.  These three aspects dominated life in society and only later, did the addition of commerce and Industry create another scenario for deaf people.  By an large all of these held and promoted negative views about deaf people and presented a huge mountain for deaf people to climb.  Usually that mountain was seen as "overcoming" deafness and reaching the hearing world.  In this Unit we will explore this theme further, seeking out the reality of deaf life and the deaf view on the situation.