Events in time
Martha's Vineyard
When was 1714
Martha’s Vineyard had a very high population of Deaf individuals (1 in 4).
They created Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language. No communication barrier between deaf and hearing residents.
TTY invented
1960
Robert Weitbrecht
eletypewriter is an electromechanical typewriter paired with a communication channel that allows people to communicate through typed messages.
Visible Speech
Alexander Graham Bell
Deaf President Now
1988
Gallaudet never had Deaf president since its induction in 1864
week-long protest
1864
Gallaudet University founded
1975 PL 94-142
passed allowing disabled children free, appropriate public education
This legislation started the mainstreaming of deaf children in public schools.
WHO signed off on an act that allowed for the establishment of a school of the Deaf, which remains the world’s only liberal arts university for deaf and hard of hearing students.
President Lincoln
What two languages made ASL?
LSF and MVSL were combined to make American Sign Language
He created the first ASL dictionary along with two Deaf colleagues at Gallaudet, Carl Croneberg and Dorothy Casterline.
1965 William Stokoe
1816
Laurent Clerc, a Deaf man from France, was brought to the US by Thomas Gallaudet to help set up an educational institute for the deaf in America.
Rehabilitation Act
1973
prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability
1964
Video Relay Service invented by Robert Weitbrecht
communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment, rather than through typed text
1760
French Sign Language was founded, which led to education for the deaf in France.
Clayton Valli performs at Harvard
1998
renowned Deaf linguist and ASL poet Clayton Valli came to Harvard to perform poetry at the Phillips Brooks House.
1890
National Association of the Deaf founded
an organization that promotes the civil rights of deaf individuals in the United States
21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act
2012
This act mandates that all televised material be captioned, including its online distribution.
finishes ASL Dictionary
1965 William Stokoe
Milan conference
1880-stressed Oralism, bans sign language
ASL begins at Harvard again
2016
For the first time in over 20 years, Harvard began offering for credit American Sign Language courses under the instruction of Andrew Bottoms.
1817
Hartford Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb established.
The first School for the Deaf using sign language was founded by Gallaudet and Clerc.
Americans with Disabilities Act
law in 1990, prohibiting discrimination based on disability.
oralist school
1872 Alexander Graham Bell
MVSL end
1952
The last deaf individual from Martha’s Vineyard that knew MVSL, Katie West, passed away, effectively making MVSL an extinct language.
Harvard stops offering ASL
1994
Linguistics department cites lack of funding as reason for eliminating beginning ASL courses that were taught by Marie Phillip.
1872
Alexander Graham Bell founds oralist school