Deaf History
The history of American Sign Language didn’t truly begin until 1814 when deaf education was introduced to the United States. There is virtually no information about American Sign Language history
July 14, 2023
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Category: Student Papers
by Anonymous | March 2, 2013 Bob Hiltermann is a well known Deaf actor and is known for: Founder of Deaf West Theater (Fountain Theater) in North Hollywood California. All
August 5, 2022
Deaf Accessibility
by Madisen Fritz | 24 September 2021 Ordering a simple cup of coffee or specialty java drink is, for most Americans, is a normal part of their mundane morning routine,
October 11, 2021
Deaf Culture
by Ksenia Muhutdinova | 6 October 2021 Deaf culture is the culture made up of Deaf people that’s based on sign language and values, as well traditions and behavior norms
October 11, 2021
Deaf Culture
by Madelynn Willingham | 7 October 2021 For our last research paper of this class, I decided to investigate how the D/deaf experience music. When people experience music, they typically
October 11, 2021
About ASL
by Faith Ekart | 29 September 21 Sign language has been around for a really long time. People don’t know exactly when it started, but people have been using types
October 8, 2021
Deaf Accessibility
by Lakin Getz | 29 September 2021 Many technological advances have been made throughout the history of deafness. This technology can help everyday life, specific activities, and interpreting. Two new
October 8, 2021
by Kamalakannan (India) Another famous deaf person is Thomas Alva Edison who was born on February 11, 1847. He was an American scientist, inventor, and businessman. However, many people don’t
July 7, 2021
Learning the nuances of Deaf Culture can be difficult for new American Sign Language students. Below you can find some tips and insights about interacting in the Deaf community submitted
July 7, 2021
Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 film that, we believe, brought Deaf Culture and the values of deaf people into the public spotlight. If you have never seen
July 7, 2021
Anne Sullivan is one of the most well-known teachers in history. She is best known for being the teacher of Helen Keller and the subject of movies such as The Miracle
July 7, 2021
This article discusses a common Deaf cultural view of cochlear implants. Not everyone shares these views and this article is for educational purposes only. The company’s name used throughout the
July 7, 2021
Deaf/ASL News
Kimberly Harrison | 2 February 2021 It is great that the new administration in the White House has stepped forward and is being pro-active about including ASL interpreters at daily
April 14, 2021
Deaf Culture
By Chloe Colvard | 6 January 2021 In recent years there have been big changes in the sports world to try to include all athletes into sports programs. Inclusivity is
April 14, 2021
Deaf Culture
by Anonymous | 2 January 2021 The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) is an organization, almost 50 years old, that preserves Canadian Deaf culture and art (in text
April 13, 2021
Juliette Gordon Low was a deaf woman who was best known for being the founder of the Girl Scouts organization. Juliette Gordon Low Articles by Students Who is your favorite
February 15, 2021
by Michelle Waldo | August 28, 2018 When I was in college I spent a semester interning at Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS) in Grand Rapids, MI. One
February 15, 2021
William Stokoe – or William C. Stokoe Jr. – changed the course of American Sign Language history. Before Stokoe, ASL was not seen as a real language. It was seen
February 15, 2021
Laurent Clerc played a significant part in the history of American Sign Language and was the first deaf teacher of the deaf in America. He was also among the first
February 15, 2021
Ludwig Van Beethoven was completely deaf for the last part of his life and yet managed to produce some of the greatest music of all time. Beethoven Articles by Students
February 15, 2021
LeRoy Colombo was a famous deaf lifeguard entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for saving 907 lives. Leroy Colombo Articles by Students LeRoy Colombo by Leah Ward (Williamsburg,
February 15, 2021
Sean Berdy is a deaf actor, comedian and dancer. He was in Sandlot 2, Legend of the Mountain Man, The Deaf Family, and is best known for his role as
February 15, 2021
Laura Redden Searing was born in 1839 and is best known for being the first deaf female journalist. She was sent by the St. Louis Republican to cover the American Civil
February 15, 2021
Julia Brace was a deaf-blind girl who was born before both Laura Bridgman and Helen Keller. She was successfully educated, but lost the credit as the first to Helen Keller.
February 15, 2021
Helen Keller is an internationally acclaimed author and lecturer. And that is so amazing because she was deaf and blind. When I was in elementary school, we learned all about
February 15, 2021
Heather Whitestone McCallum is known as “Miss Deaf America” (even though Miss Deaf America is a different pageant). She was the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss America in
February 15, 2021
A big event that occurred in Deaf history was the Deaf President Now (DPN) movement. DPN was a huge protest at Gallaudet University that started in March of 1988. The
February 15, 2021
Laura Bridgman was the first deaf-blind person to learn language. When you think about the first deaf-blind child to be educated, you will most likely think of Helen Keller. In
February 15, 2021
Dummy Hoy made history as the first deaf major league baseball player. He’s also not famous just because he was deaf; he was also a remarkably talented and skilled baseball
February 15, 2021
Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet is probably the most influential person in the history of American Sign Language. Gallaudet, along with Laurent Clerc, was responsible for starting the first free public
February 15, 2021
When Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet died in 1851, his youngest son Edward Miner Gallaudet continued his legacy in deaf education, played a big part in the history of American Sign Language, and
February 15, 2021
George Veditz was a former president of the National Association of the Deaf of the United States and was one of the first to film American Sign Language. George William
February 15, 2021
Sue Thomas was a deaf undercover specialist for the FBI. She was the inspiration for the TV series Sue Thomas: FBEye, an international speaker, author, and founder of Kennels of
February 15, 2021
Geronimo Cardano played a significant role in the history of sign language–particularly in the history of deaf education. Cardano was an Italian mathematician and physician. He discovered in the 1500s
February 15, 2021
Linda Bove was born on November 30, 1945 in Garfield, New Jersey to deaf parents. She majored in library science at Gallaudet University and received her bachelor’s degree in 1968.
February 15, 2021
by Madeline Huwaldt | October 3, 2018 Gallaudet University was founded in 1864 and is located in Washington D.C and is a federally chartered private school. Originally Gallaudet was a
February 15, 2021
by Clayton Shell | November 16, 2017 Nellie Zabel Willhite was the woman that I had found in my research on “Deaf people in History.” Born November 22, 1892, in
February 15, 2021
When you are 9 years old, you don’t think about making history. Alice Cogswell made history at the age of 9 by sparking the beginning of the creation of American
February 15, 2021
by Alyssa Weeks | November 14, 2017 My favorite person in deaf history is Marie Heurtin. You might know her as the French Hellen Keller but to many she is
February 15, 2021
Marlee Matlin was born in Morton Grove, Illinois on August 24th, 1965. After she came down with the German Measles at the age of eighteen months, she lost her hearing
February 15, 2021
by Cynthia Brainerd | February 27, 2017 Regina Olson Hughes (1895-1993) became fully deaf at the age of 14, due to the effects of scarlet fever. She could still speak
February 15, 2021
by Jack | April 7, 2017 Teresa de Cartagena was a nun in 15th Century Spain. She is remarkable for being Spain’s first feminist writer as well as for being
February 15, 2021
We all know Alexander Graham Bell (known as AGB in the Deaf community) as the inventor of the telephone. That makes him a good guy, right? Creating a way for
February 15, 2021
by Jennifer Hatley | July 7, 2017 I find music to be my outlet for so many different things. I chose Johnnie Ray (John Alvin Ray) as he was an
February 15, 2021
by Catherine Ritchie | July 22, 2017 The Deaf community has a rich culture with many prominent figures in its history. Some whose names are fairly well known such as
February 15, 2021
by Anne (Richmond, VA) Dr. Candace McCullough is the first Deaf psychologist to set up a counseling business. She makes counseling services accessible to Deaf people all over the states. Dr.
February 15, 2021
by Nanette Kaufmann (Kissimmee, Florida) Award winning actress and advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. Her honors representing the handicapped are many, including the President’s Distinguished Service-vice Award
February 15, 2021
by Natalie Picone | August 27, 2016 In 1926 at the age of 19, Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Twenty-one miles from Dover,
February 15, 2021
by David Cooper | October 13, 2016 The deaf person wrote about was Kevin Lucas Smire who was also known as “Deaf Kev.” He was born on October 28, 1996
February 15, 2021
by Marcus McNeal | November 29, 2016 “Everybody has to start somewhere. You have your whole future ahead of you. Perfection doesn’t happen right away.” (Haruki Murakami, 2006). The quote
February 15, 2021
by Lisa | February 3, 2016 I’m going to talk about someone here who first opened my eyes to sign language, and that is the actress Louise Fletcher. Louise Fletcher
February 15, 2021
by Anonymous David Michalowski, profoundly deaf since birth, grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He competed at the United States Figure Skating National Championships from 1978 until 1982, including the 1980
February 15, 2021
by Kristyn Murray (Houston, Texas) Joseph Henry Sharp was one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists, a group that produced some of the most significant artwork
February 15, 2021
by Janeel Hew (Hawaii) | June 18, 2010 Understanding the past, helps us to embrace the present. Finally an online class, that teaches you that learning ASL means more than
February 15, 2021
by Hannah (Indiana) Lou has been an inspiration to many deaf, he played the Hulk in the original series, he also appeared in “I love you, Man” and appeared as
February 15, 2021
by Grace (Canada) My favorite deaf historical figure is Granville Redmond. His struggle to be accepted by the common man is fairly touching, and his paintings are simply out of
February 15, 2021
by Joseph Heenan (Frankston, Australia) | March 8, 2013 The 48 year old Australian named Robert Hoskin is a well-known deaf filmmaker who has won several film awards from his
February 15, 2021
by Anonymous Rodger Young was a deaf man who faked his Army hearing test in World War II. He won a Posthumous Medal of Honor in the Soloman Islands. Rodger
February 15, 2021
by Sara Huang (Taipei, Taiwan) | March 12, 2013 I have read a lot about the oppression of the Deaf, but I really appreciate people who have embraced Deaf culture
February 15, 2021
by Karri Kimery | August 18, 2016 As I was reading about people in the deaf community, I came across Matt and Kay Daigle. These two met in 1993, at
February 15, 2021
When you are learning American Sign Language, it is important to get involved with the Deaf community. Many believe that learning ASL within the Deaf community is the only true
February 15, 2021
American Sign Language (ASL) is the natural language of around 500,000 deaf people in the US and Canada. A “natural” language is a language that is learned as a first
February 15, 2021
Deaf History
The events that occurred in the history of sign language are actually pretty shocking. How deaf people experience life today is directly related to how they were treated in the
February 15, 2021
by Anonymous As a doctor holding a Ph.D. in school psychology who has previously specialized in assessment of the intellectual and educational abilities of children, I have learned much about
February 15, 2021
Andrew Foster is a very important person in Deaf history. He was the first African American Deaf person to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from Gallaudet University and is known as
February 15, 2021
by Olivia Honeycutt | 25 September 2019 The entire world is a built for Hearing people. Despite having no real connection to one another, no defining features other than those
February 15, 2021
by Rocio Caceres (7/23/2020) Sordo or The Silent War (English title) is a Spanish movie released in 2019 and directed by Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas. Sordo’s genre falls between a few categories like drama, western, thriller,
February 15, 2021
by Maddie Hammer (08/24/2020) Since its discovery in December, the widespread outbreak of SARS-CoV2 has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. The outbreak duration is still ongoing and there have
February 15, 2021
by Nicole Colterman (08/27/2020) Martha’s Vineyard, home of astonishing landscapes, fishing towns, marvelous summer homes and one of the first known deaf communities in the United States. From the late
February 15, 2021
by J. Conor Crockett | September 2, 2020 The Daily Bruin published a news article written by Noah Danesh on August 3, 2020 titled: “A Glove Developed by UCLA Researchers
February 15, 2021
by Anonymous (09/04/2020) In the United States, as of 2006, about 1 in 20 people is considered deaf or hard of hearing (1), however its uncommon to encounter deaf students
February 15, 2021
by Teagan North (09/08/2020) Almost everyone is a consumer of health care services at some point in their lives. Doctor’s appointments and trips to the emergency room can require patients
February 15, 2021
by Anonymous | 03 June 2020 For many humans all over the world, our names are one of the first things we receive that differentiates us from everyone else. Names can
February 15, 2021
by Amanda Rolfe | January 13, 2020 American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters facilitate communication between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who can hear. Sign language
February 15, 2021
by Anonymous (03/25/2020) Braam Jordaan was born in Benoni, South Africa in 1981. He was born “profoundly deaf to deaf parents”. Jordaan and his family moved to Cape Town, South
February 15, 2021
by Caitlin Epstein (09/10/2020) In 2018, model, actor, and Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco answered the question “how do deaf people go to the movies?” DiMarco became a well-known public figure
February 15, 2021
by Lisa Baker (03/11/2020) It is widely believed in the Deaf community that deaf children should have access to American Sign Language, Deaf role models, and one-on-one interactions with teachers
February 15, 2021
by Lisa Baker (05/27/2020) Literature and the Arts is an incredibly important outlet within the deaf community. It is one of the four crucial values of Deaf Culture, as it
February 15, 2021
Abbe de L’Epee, a French Catholic priest, founded the first social and religious association for deaf people around 1750. L’Epee’s full name was Abbe Charles Michel de L’Epee and he
February 15, 2021
Shoshannah Stern is a well known deaf actress who is best known for her roles as Bonnie Richmond in Jericho, Holly Brodeen in Threat Matrix, and Megan Graves on Weeds.
February 15, 2021
By Janet Alberts | 16 November 2020 Every Deaf and hard of hearing individual has the right to communication access. These rights, as well as other laws are protected by
February 15, 2021
Isabella Rogers | 30 November 2020 Although many would disregard the disabled, The Texas School for the Deaf is considered the pride of Texas because it accomplished so much independently
February 15, 2021
by Beth Cogen | 22 December 2020 There are two main constructions of deafness: deafness as a medical condition, and deafness as a linguistic and cultural minority (Valentine and Skelton
February 15, 2021
by Jonathan McGee (10/29/2020) The world wide pandemic has caused many inconveniences for the general public. Shops are closed, plans were cancelled, “regular life” has been interrupted, but in all
February 15, 2021
by Emma Pellegrini | 16 November 2020 It is often noted, and quite strongly from a multitude of personal experiences, that words have power. A power that is stronger than
February 15, 2021
by Nancy Green | 14 November 2020 I chose an article titled “The pandemic’s impact of kids in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community – and how parents and
February 15, 2021
