Deaf children have traditionally been perceived and educated as a special needs population. Over the past several decades, many factors have converged to enable a shift in perspective to one in which deaf children are viewed as a cultural and linguistic minority, and the education of deaf children is approached from a bilingual framework. This article presents the historical context in which such shifts have occurred; describes the linguistic, social, and cultural factors that shape a bilingual approach to deaf education; and suggests the implications of a linguistic and cultural minority perspective on deaf children's language development as well as for teacher preparation and educational policy.