Throughout the course of time, numerous deaf persons and hearing individuals have contributed to the development and prosperity of the Deaf community.
In this article, you’ll get to know about some influential personalities that helped build deaf schools and spread American Sign Language across the United States.
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
Thomas Gallaudet was a hearing individual who established the first educational institution for people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the United States. He was moved to get involved after encountering Alice Cogswell, a deaf girl whose father was home-schooling her.
When Gallaudet went to Europe to learn about teaching the Deaf, he got inspired by the success of the Institut Royal des Sourds-Muets in Paris, where they used sign language in their classrooms. He encouraged a deaf educator there, Laurent Clerc, to come to the United States to assist him in establishing the American School for the Deaf.
They borrowed heavily from the French sign language system to devise the American sign language. Gallaudet’s work helped to establish sign language as a legitimate language for deaf people in the USA.
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Laurent Clerc
Deaf French teacher Laurent Clerc made important contributions to American Sign Language (ASL) development.
Clerc came to the United States in 1816 when Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet invited him to help establish the country’s first permanent school for deaf students.
They established the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, upon their arrival in the USA. Clerc spent nearly 40 years as a teacher there, and his influence on the evolution of ASL was profound.
To many, Clerc represents one of the “founding fathers” of American Sign Language. Many signs from French Sign Language have been included in ASL thanks to him, and his approach to teaching has had a profound impact on the field of deaf education till today.
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Alice Cogswell
Alice Cogswell, born in Connecticut in 1805, was a deaf woman. A severe fever caused her to lose her hearing at an early age. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet first encountered Alice when she was 9 years old. Gallaudet found motivation in Alice’s wit and will.
Alice was one of the first students to attend the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut, after its founding by Gallaudet and Clerc. There she learned to read, write and sign. Later on, she authored several publications on religious subjects.
Alice’s achievements paved the path for deaf education in the United States and proved that deaf people are just as talented and intelligent as hearing people.
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Conclusion
Graduates of the American School for the Deaf made a significant impact on modern ASL by transmitting sign language and Deaf culture deeper into society.
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