The funding, which came from the Department of Education, was canceled in late 2004 when an earmark for cultural experiences for the deaf was struck during the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities in Education Act. The money itself stopped coming to deaf theater groups last year. “We don’t know exactly why it was removed,” a department spokesman, Jim Bradshaw, said Tuesday by e-mail. “An explanation does not appear in the legislation’s report language. About all we can tell you is that since it was an earmark outside of the department, we defer to Congress’ judgment on this.”