The Fascinating History of Sign Language | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The history of sign language, from its origins to the creation of American Sign Language, and the struggle for acceptance within the deaf community.

Key Insights

• 🙉 Sign language didn't exist 300 years ago, and deaf individuals born into hearing families had no language.
• 🥺 The establishment of the first school for the deaf in France led to the recognition of sign language as a language.
• 🙉 The oral system, which aimed to make deaf people speak, created barriers to communication and resulted in the loss of language within the deaf community.
• 🤘 The acceptance and recognition of sign language led to the creation of various sign languages around the world.
• 😀 Deaf individuals have historically faced oppression and discrimination, resulting in a sense of distrust towards the hearing world.
• 😑 The use of sign language as a means of communication is vital for the deaf community's freedom, culture, and self-expression.
• 🙉 Advances in technology, such as cochlear implants, have sparked debates within the deaf community about the preservation of their culture and the perception of deafness as a disability.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the deaf community consider hearing people as their enemy?

Hearing people were seen as the enemy because of the historical oppression and enforced oralism that deprived deaf individuals of their language and cultural identity.

Q: How did deaf people create their own sign language?

Deaf siblings who were both deaf created their own sign language, allowing them to communicate, reason, and express their thoughts and feelings. This language formed the basis for sign languages around the world.

Q: Who played a significant role in the recognition of sign language as a language?

A French priest named Abbe de l'Epée recognized sign language as a true language and established the first school for the deaf, proving that deaf individuals were capable of reason and communication.

Q: Why did the oral system fail for most deaf individuals?

The oral system, which aimed to make deaf people speak like hearing individuals, failed because deaf individuals couldn't hear sounds and lacked access to auditory information. Sign language is a visual language that better suits their natural mode of communication.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Sign language did not exist 300 years ago, leaving deaf individuals without a language to communicate. Genetic deafness within families led to the creation of a unique sign language.

• A French priest recognized sign language as a true language, leading to the establishment of the first school for the deaf and the acceptance of deaf people as capable of reason and language.

• The oral system, which aimed to make deaf people speak like hearing individuals, was a failure and led to a loss of language and communication within the deaf community.