Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America

Chapter 15. American Sign Language: Our Natural Language

liThe Noblest Gift" George W. Vedit'rtJa) ,,'ns reI''' ledly IIIr first deaf-bl;',d perSOIl t'dllcated in this couHtry. O"' ....... _tiOo. o;:;....o .. ,.. ,,_ ..._ ... ,•• w..."'ro........ ,_ 1THE ~IANl'AL ALPHABET WITH ONE I IN FIl,'-N(X .,6(), AND 'l 'nE U1\'I'~EJJ HAND , FOR THE DEAF AND DC)I.B. 6 1.1-:.11 EN'f JIIt Y J~';(}:;lll ·J.~· I..'" no. ...1.-...... I . I~.' ... ''' Ii .... ""'"'t .M~ l ....'Io, I'I :.'...,. I ... " .. Al,!>o.t-l. .. :.m,,"_ I '" ......"'~........... ~....... _,,,.,. r•., " " 1,,0(""-', ~'.' '''...h''' "d , •• t 'j ' II I:.' .'IAlI C..I , . ~fl. /)lIdHI:: .J : j , ... , ~ _ ..- .... ,..... ..,,' ,..."'''' ..... .....,.". _ ....."_' ... ,,,'1>. ·... "".NU'_,.~.......... -IO I a:••,.j' h ' "~I_ . ..." ..... ... " ....... I •. ~''',...'' '' ... " •• I,.'~ GI'tt. Pe-.I "" ""' ,!,-1I t ~~~..~!::f:~ ~ :::.~:"" .:·r~" : ...~::..:~~::7':, ~:~:.~n:::::~~.: 4'........, ... . u,br_.·......1~ , . l'::,,,,,. ' ''' tV, ....,. .....", Ol ~"h l ....'_ U . ~ I. ~ '10 .I!, ~,,~ ... ,.......,.......... ,~ U._il" ........,..."'.""'.. ,lo, ......oh....:....'..., 'lnol ...... ~-' ..,_j,.... 'h.. ~I_ .......~ ..""\l,..lll ~ oI_ I1t. II."' ''''''''U''''u......''''''''IO>'''''' . ~_....... •_ IIf~Io,"'"~..·........ HOW TO TBACH THE DEAFAND DUMB WGOAGlt .... Tit, :.tallll.t Alpt.al..et ..lIb 0!lCl IIlud. 211. Tk~ AIph.b.!. in ~ p j...1,lid a",,11 leuln. A.nt r h:" 'iIlG C()mlhitlni tbeMl chlltl.Cttll lo lP~or,., proceed t.o their t':Hlill\lj~t u~ .. follo~! Stn·11 -."" If~:;; ~r ~ ':~o",t ...1 " ~'II~u. lli~u\l~ ; ..hl ,4011t'11. ;"R " ,1",,1.1. lI~lIW, vt 101',"" lIiOlI utll! "'ql1I, "u~I;(· !I .I:bh 1I}II,i"u will. II;, I, !I"I. ..\t ,1'0: r\1J;"~ ..1,o:u,L I"", \, II., "II·....1 ·'ll.ili ·¢lbl I""''N'••bh"',·; ',r 1 """l'r. tit !I ..."",,.:.••,,,,,,·,J"10_'" l.. ri1I1 .noe ,..1111 Ith fjllJVft " ' d, ~ ...,~, ~ 1;.Up.u... ,... -otWt _ • •,..0).-, _ __1. ."" olIoofl, b1'I'" ....."'I . ~" '" 1'_ .............,., ..II.· I _ ·II ... ItoI.. """'............ _ _ . ... ,. w....... ~I ~ ,........ r-'v"'!""i:"""~,.-..c-_.,........ _______ ~ ____ ~ ___ ~ _ ..._____________._______~ _ _ ..-.._........~ __:.t''lr)( 1904 National Association of the Deaf convention: "The enemies of sign language are not confined to those who decry it and call for its abolition entirely. Its most dangerous enemies are in the camp of its friends, in the persons of those who maltreat it and abuse it by misuse. The sign language, properly used, is a language of grace, beauty, power. But through careless or ignorant Lise it may become ungraceful. repulsive, difficult to comprehend." In the early 1900s George W. Veditz expressed concern that '''A new race of pharaohs that knew not Joseph' are taking over the land and many of our , . , the educator of the deaf must learn through the experience of the educated deaf wherein to modify alld improve his methods. -ENOCH CURRIER American Schools. They do not understand signs for they cannot sign. They proclaim that signs are worthless and of no help to the deaf. Enemies of sign la11guage --lhey are enemies of the true welfare of the deaf." The Deaf: "By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them" Whell t!re New York School for the Deaf came under pressure to ~baJldon sign lnnguage in favor of the pure oral met/rod ;,r tire iIJstructioJJ vf deaf children, Principal Erroclr H. Currier decided to solicit the opinions of deaf leaders of tire day. Here are some excerpts from same of the letters he received. TIle leiters were published ill a booklet, The Deaf: "By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them." " It is hard to conceive that there are minds and hearts so slllall and shriveled that they would say to the deaf. 'You are to acquire knowledge dnd understanding by watching the motion of the Ups or not at all.' The deaf, as weJ] as the hearing, are entitled to lea.rn all they can by such methods as are most expeditious." -J.c. Howard " . . . l feel that it is my right to come by knowledge in whatever way God has given me, since it was His good wil l that [ should not hear. [ do not recognize the rigb t of an human being to deprive me of the means of communication that God has left to me."-J.c. Howard " I have met many deaf peoplE'-some educated by the oral method and some by the combined method, where signs are used. In every case those who have been educated by means of signs are the more in telligent, more independent , self-reliant...