Deaf History
- People:
- 1520-1584: Pedro Ponce de Leon: taught deaf sons of the Spanish nobility in order that they
might inherit property. He used reading and writing methods; also taught speech
- 1750: Charles Michel de l’Eppe: “father of Sign Language and Deaf Education”; he wrote the first
dictionary of French Signs learned from Deaf informants. He also established the first free public
school for the Deaf and the first religious and social association for the deaf in Paris
- 1785-1869: Laurent Clerc: Deaf student of de l’Eppe and Sicard. He taught at the Paris school for
the Deaf and eventually became the co-founder of American School for the Deaf with Thomas
Gallaudet
- 1727-1790: Samuel Heinicke: established the oral method of teaching deaf children to speak—he
was strongly against the use of sign language
- 1760: Thomas Braidwood: found British Oral Schools for the Deaf
- 1816: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet: co-founder of the American School for the Deaf with help
from Laurent Clerc
- 1805-1830: Alice Cogswell: first graduate of the American School for the Deaf
- 1880-1968: Helen Keller: a very educated Deaf and Blind woman who lost hearing and sight due
to illness at 19 months. She was homeschooled by her friend and teacher: Annie Sullivan whom also
was partially blind
- 1864: Edward Miner Gallaudet: son Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. He was the first president of
Gallaudet University
- 1872: Alexander Graham Bell: inventor of the telephone, and created techniques for teaching
speech to the deaf. He opened his “School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech”
- 1965: Orin Cornett: invented cued speech
- 1965-present: Marlee Matlin: Deaf actress who performs in a lot of shows and movies. She was
the youngest woman to win academy award for the movie “Children of a Lesser God
- 1988: I. King Jordan became the first Deaf president at Gallaudet University after the DPN Protest
- 1994: Heather Whitestone: Deaf Miss America. She was an Oral deaf woman who showed the
society that Deaf people can become successful.
might inherit property. He used reading and writing methods; also taught speech
- 1750: Charles Michel de l’Eppe: “father of Sign Language and Deaf Education”; he wrote the first
dictionary of French Signs learned from Deaf informants. He also established the first free public
school for the Deaf and the first religious and social association for the deaf in Paris
- 1785-1869: Laurent Clerc: Deaf student of de l’Eppe and Sicard. He taught at the Paris school for
the Deaf and eventually became the co-founder of American School for the Deaf with Thomas
Gallaudet
- 1727-1790: Samuel Heinicke: established the oral method of teaching deaf children to speak—he
was strongly against the use of sign language
- 1760: Thomas Braidwood: found British Oral Schools for the Deaf
- 1816: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet: co-founder of the American School for the Deaf with help
from Laurent Clerc
- 1805-1830: Alice Cogswell: first graduate of the American School for the Deaf
- 1880-1968: Helen Keller: a very educated Deaf and Blind woman who lost hearing and sight due
to illness at 19 months. She was homeschooled by her friend and teacher: Annie Sullivan whom also
was partially blind
- 1864: Edward Miner Gallaudet: son Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. He was the first president of
Gallaudet University
- 1872: Alexander Graham Bell: inventor of the telephone, and created techniques for teaching
speech to the deaf. He opened his “School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech”
- 1965: Orin Cornett: invented cued speech
- 1965-present: Marlee Matlin: Deaf actress who performs in a lot of shows and movies. She was
the youngest woman to win academy award for the movie “Children of a Lesser God
- 1988: I. King Jordan became the first Deaf president at Gallaudet University after the DPN Protest
- 1994: Heather Whitestone: Deaf Miss America. She was an Oral deaf woman who showed the
society that Deaf people can become successful.
- Events:
- 1816: American School for the Deaf was founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent
Clerc
- 1843-1912:More than 30 schools for the Deaf were established by Deaf and hearing teachers from
the American School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College
- 1864: Gallaudet University was discovered by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Lauren Clerc,
formerly called the Columbia Institution of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind.
- 1867: Conference of Milan: 2nd international conference of deaf educators: big controversy saying
that oral education was better than manual education—Alexander Graham Bell represented for
America during the convention
- 1800: NAD: National Association of the Deaf is formed as the nation’s premier civil rights
organization by deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals in the nation that displays advocacy scopes, news to
share with the society and contains laws
- 1952: the age of transistor hearing aids start to develop in smaller sizes compared to the “vacuum tube”.
- 1965: Congressional Babbidge Report: investigates oral deaf education and declares pure oralism a
failure and recommends alternative methods
- 1965: NTID: National Technical Institute of Technology became the first and largest technical
college in the world for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. This is placed under RIT: Rochester
Institute of Technology and offers ASL in class rooms and support services.
- 1984: Cochlear implants first approved for clinical uses for people 18 and above.
- 1988: DPN—Deaf President Now protest: students at Gallaudet University protests against
having a hearing president (Elisabeth Zinser). They all marched all over DC, blocked off all
entrances to Gallaudet University, boycotted classes until a Deaf president was placed (I. King
Jordan).
- 2006: Unity for Gallaudet Movement: students at Gallaudet University blocked the entrances of
Gallaudet University, held rallies, protested and set up tents on campus opposing the idea of I. King
Jordan's decision of the next president, Jane fernandes (provost). The students rebelled against having
her as president due to her lack of fluency in ASL and the fact that she "was not deaf enough" to be
president. The students did not agree with her ideas for the future for Gallaudet University.
- 2011: Switched at Birth premiers on ABCfamily. This TV program shows various aspects of the
Deaf culture and perspectives of a deaf individual.
Clerc
- 1843-1912:More than 30 schools for the Deaf were established by Deaf and hearing teachers from
the American School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College
- 1864: Gallaudet University was discovered by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Lauren Clerc,
formerly called the Columbia Institution of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind.
- 1867: Conference of Milan: 2nd international conference of deaf educators: big controversy saying
that oral education was better than manual education—Alexander Graham Bell represented for
America during the convention
- 1800: NAD: National Association of the Deaf is formed as the nation’s premier civil rights
organization by deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals in the nation that displays advocacy scopes, news to
share with the society and contains laws
- 1952: the age of transistor hearing aids start to develop in smaller sizes compared to the “vacuum tube”.
- 1965: Congressional Babbidge Report: investigates oral deaf education and declares pure oralism a
failure and recommends alternative methods
- 1965: NTID: National Technical Institute of Technology became the first and largest technical
college in the world for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. This is placed under RIT: Rochester
Institute of Technology and offers ASL in class rooms and support services.
- 1984: Cochlear implants first approved for clinical uses for people 18 and above.
- 1988: DPN—Deaf President Now protest: students at Gallaudet University protests against
having a hearing president (Elisabeth Zinser). They all marched all over DC, blocked off all
entrances to Gallaudet University, boycotted classes until a Deaf president was placed (I. King
Jordan).
- 2006: Unity for Gallaudet Movement: students at Gallaudet University blocked the entrances of
Gallaudet University, held rallies, protested and set up tents on campus opposing the idea of I. King
Jordan's decision of the next president, Jane fernandes (provost). The students rebelled against having
her as president due to her lack of fluency in ASL and the fact that she "was not deaf enough" to be
president. The students did not agree with her ideas for the future for Gallaudet University.
- 2011: Switched at Birth premiers on ABCfamily. This TV program shows various aspects of the
Deaf culture and perspectives of a deaf individual.