History of American Sign Language (ASL)

  • Martha's Vineyard Sign Language

    On the island near Massachusetts, with both hearing and deaf residents, there the making of their own signing between both the hearing and the Deaf.
  • National Institute of Deaf-mutes

    The first free deaf school was opened in France
  • Hartford Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb established

    Started in Hartford, Connecticut by Dr. Thomas Hopkins Galludet.
  • National Deaf-Mute College

    Opened by Galludet's son, Edward; it was renamed to Galludet University
  • Alexander Graham Bell founds oralist school

    Graham pushed for oralism only in schools so Deaf students could learn to read lips and practice speech
  • Milan Conference

    ASL banned in schools in the US; oralism promoted
  • National Association of the Deaf

    an organization founded that promotes civil rights and equality for deaf individuals in the US
  • William Stokoe published Sign Language Structure.

    Stokoe wrote a dissertation proving how sign language is a valid language
  • William Stokoe finishes ASL Dictionary

  • Rehabilitation Act

    "The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment and in the employment practices of federal contractors."
  • Public Education for Disabled Students

    mainstreaming of deaf children in public schools.
  • 5th International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED)

    freedom given to the Deaf to communicate however they wanted
  • Americans with Disabilities Act

    discrimination against people with disabilities prohibited
  • Clayton Valli performs at Harvard

    ASL poet Clayton Valli came to Harvard to perform poetry at the Phillips Brooks House.
  • 21st ICED

    Deaf students are allowed to be taught in whatever methods they chose
  • 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act

    This act mandates that all televised material be captioned, including its online distribution