The Dark Age of Sign Language In the 1800’s many schools around the world were being built for deaf education. Many Deaf activists studied the deaf in many countries to establish schools. A few of the people are Thomas Gallaudet, and Charles Michel de l’Epee’. They were men who helped teach and create sign language to the deaf community. During these times there were deaf politicians, artists, lawyers, educators, and excetera who used sign language and became successful. Later on after 1880 this seemed to change and sign language was thought of as shame. In 1880 there was a problem for the deaf community. “At the infamous second International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Milan, Italy, it became quite apparent that the number one agenda
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A deaf writer, Joseph Schuyler Long, wrote ‘The Sign Language: A Manual of Signs.’ In the book it describes what signs are and he wrote the book in an English grammar matter. The National Association of the Deaf used film as a way to preserve sign language. They filmed signers who were both deaf and hearing. No matter what the rules were deaf people would have secret meets and sign to one another. Since oralism was now the way to teach the deaf, many deaf educators lost their jobs. Deaf schools were closing and oral schools for the deaf were beginning to open. In 1867 the Clarke School in Northampton, Massachusetts became the first oral school for the deaf. They taught the deaf auditory learning instead of using signs and gestures. Many oral schools did not see sign language as a real language. They thought the best way to teach the deaf was through oral practice because it taught them how to communicate just like other …show more content…
Deaf schools now had sign language taught again and in 1988 Gallaudet University had a protest called the “Deaf President Now” (Deaf Culture Online). This protest took place so that Gallaudet University could have a deaf president and get rid of Elizabeth Zinser, who was hearing. This protest caused media publicity worldwide and gained support of many politicians and civil rights leaders. Then, finally, Dr. I. King Jordan became the first deaf president of the university. This created much awarenessfor deaf culture and was the end of the Dark Age. People could see what possibilities were there with Dr. I. King in place and gave them the leverage to keep pushing to get the needs of the deaf
A deaf writer, Joseph Schuyler Long, wrote ‘The Sign Language: A Manual of Signs.’ In the book it describes what signs are and he wrote the book in an English grammar matter. The National Association of the Deaf used film as a way to preserve sign language. They filmed signers who were both deaf and hearing. No matter what the rules were deaf people would have secret meets and sign to one another. Since oralism was now the way to teach the deaf, many deaf educators lost their jobs. Deaf schools were closing and oral schools for the deaf were beginning to open. In 1867 the Clarke School in Northampton, Massachusetts became the first oral school for the deaf. They taught the deaf auditory learning instead of using signs and gestures. Many oral schools did not see sign language as a real language. They thought the best way to teach the deaf was through oral practice because it taught them how to communicate just like other …show more content…
Deaf schools now had sign language taught again and in 1988 Gallaudet University had a protest called the “Deaf President Now” (Deaf Culture Online). This protest took place so that Gallaudet University could have a deaf president and get rid of Elizabeth Zinser, who was hearing. This protest caused media publicity worldwide and gained support of many politicians and civil rights leaders. Then, finally, Dr. I. King Jordan became the first deaf president of the university. This created much awarenessfor deaf culture and was the end of the Dark Age. People could see what possibilities were there with Dr. I. King in place and gave them the leverage to keep pushing to get the needs of the deaf