Dr. Andrew Foster: A Literature Review

Often compared to Laurent Clerc, Thomas Gallaudet, and Alexander Graham Bell, Dr. Andrew Foster was a deaf African American who founded 32 schools for the deaf in 13 African nations. The 60th anniversary of his arrival in Liberia and Ghana and the 30th anniversary of his tragic death in a Rwanda airplane accident both occur in 2017. Renewed interest in Foster has spawned research and events to reexamine questions about his contributions to the expansion of deaf education in Africa. However, none of these activities have taken a full biographical approach. More in-depth, historical, and biographical research is needed to answer the many remaining questions about Foster's life and legacy. A literature review was conducted to investigate what are considered Foster's key contributions and the factors that might have motivated him to expand access to deaf education in Africa.