Deaf History Deaf Studies Timeline

Pedro Ponce De León

(1520-1584)

A spanish Benedictine monk, thought to be the first to educate the deaf.

He instructed children using writing and simple gestures to teach them to speak audibly.

1520

Juan Pablo Bonet

(1573-1633)

A Spanishcleric and educator, Juan Pablo publishes the first book on the subject of manual alhabetic signs for the deaf. He was one of the first teachers to devise and record in print a sign alphabet which influenced modern sign. However, he believed manual language was only a step towards oralism rather than a form of valid communication.

1570

Thomas Braidwood

(1715-1806)

Thomas Braidwoof was a Scottish educator and founder of Britain's first school for the deaf.

His methods of education utilized a “combined system” of sign language, articulation, speech and lipreading.

He contributed to and influenced the recognition of British Sign Language by the governmet.

1710

Samuel Henicke

(1727-1790)

Known as the father of oral education for the deaf, Samuel Henicke was a German tutor who reportedly taught a deaf boy using the manual alphabet.

At first he only used writing, sign and gesture to teach. However he soon incorporated lipreading and taught students to speak by feeling their throats.

Opened first oral public school for the deaf in Leipzig Germany, recognized by the government

1720

Abbé Charles

Michel De L'epée

(1712-1800)

Abbé Charles Michel De L'epée was a French educator who demonstrated that deaf people could develop communication with themselves and the hearing world through a system of conventional gestures, hand signs and fingerspelling. He is known for having founded the first free school of the deaf in 1775

1730

Thomas

Hopkins Gallaudet

(1778 - 1851)

Thomas Hopkins Galluadet was a congressional minister who helped his neighbor's young deaf daughter.

He taught at the school for the deaf in paris before returning to the United States with Laurent Clerc to found the American school for the deaf

1770

Laurent Clerc

(1785 - 1869)

Laruent Clerc was a French teacher known as “apostle for the deaf in America”. Taught by Abbe Sicard and the deaf educator Jean Massieu at the institution Nationale des Sourds-muets in Paris. He also co-founded the first school for the deaf in North America in 1817.

He used mostly French sign while incorporating signs that were already in use in the United States.

1780

Alexander Graham Bell

(1847 - 1922)

Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish born American inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.

He is also known for his work with elocution and speech.

Both his mother and his wife were deaf.

He dedicated his life's purpose to work with hearing devices and advocate of compulsory sterilization, serving as chairman for several eugenics organizations

1840

George W. Vedits

(1861-1937)

George W. Vedits was a deaf man who worked as a secretary and bookkeeper

He graduated in 1884 as valedictorian and returned to teach for four years before earning his master’s degree in 1887.

In 1904 Verditz becomes president of the National ASsociation of the Deaf (NAD) He had strong opinions about preserving sign, using film to record sign language.

1900

WIlliam C. Stokoe

(1919-2000)

William C Stokoe is often considered the father of linguistics after proving that sign language is a natural language

In modern day, he has had a profound impact on deaf culture, deaf education and sign language teaching and interpreting practices.

2000