The Evolution of Sign Language in America

Let’s take a look at more recent history of sign language in the United States. In 1817, Laurent Clerc and Thomas Gallaudet founded the American School for the Deaf, in Hartford, Connecticut.

With the opening of the American School for the Deaf, ASL emerged by bringing together Old French Sign Language, various village signs, and home signs. Old French Sign Language came from Laurent Clerc, and the village signs and home signs were brought to the school by groups of students from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. More schools for the Deaf were founded after ASD, and knowledge of ASL spread to those schools. The rise of Deaf community organizations and societies, such as the National Association of the Deaf and the National Fraternal society of the Deaf, contributed to ASL being spread over a large geographical area. This was new, most sign language had been isolated to families or villages, and not shared. This encouraged the growth of ASL as a language.

In the late 1800’s, during legal segregation, white Deaf schools began focusing on oralism, which is communication through lip-reading and production of speech. In 1880, the Milan Conference declared that oral education (oralism) was superior to manual education (sign language) and passed a resolution banning the use of sign language in schools in the US. At that time, people were not concerned about Black Deaf students, so Black Deaf schools taught a more traditional form of sign language, stemming from early American Sign Language. Black American Sign Language (BASL) evolved into its own language.

When schools were desegregated, Black Deaf student struggled to communicate with their white teachers and peers. BASL was only continued to be used among family and friends, and this was, in reality, the only way BASL was preserved as a language. It should be noted, that Deaf schools were desegregated in the 1960’s and 70’s. In 1978, Louisiana was the last segregated state school for the Deaf to become integrated in the United States.

In the 1970s, in the wake of the civil rights era, academics and educators once again recognized sign language as a critical educational tool, and as a language equal to others. American Sign Language was once again, brought back into Deaf schools. The 1988 Gallaudet campus protest shut down the campus to demand that the college’s trustees appoint a Deaf president for the first time since Gallaudet was founded in 1864. This was a pivotal point for sign language recognition and was a catalyst for the Americans with Disabilities act of 1990. American Sign Language was not to be ignored as the main language within Deaf educational institutions.

In today’s society, sign language has become a rich, complex, and mature language. ASL has become a part of our modern culture, with references, performances, and ability to learn on many different platforms. ASL is the third highest enrollment of any non-English language throughout colleges and universities in the U.S. With Deaf performers and interpreters going viral and the strength of social media to expose us to Deaf culture and ASL, there is significantly more knowledge, within the general public, and acceptance of accessibility accommodations when it comes to using and needing ASL.

If you are interested in learning about ASL or BASL, DEAFinitely Dope is here to educate you and connect you with the right people and resources. Fill out a contact form to get in touch with Matt Maxey of DEAFinitely Dope.