About Deaf History Month
April 1 – 30 is National Deaf History Month, a celebration of the history, culture, and languages of the Deaf community. National Deaf History Month has been celebrated since 2006, when the American library Association and the National Association of the Deaf joined the efforts of Alice Hagemeyer, a deaf librarian who advocated for increased accessibility and who developed Deaf History Month.
National Deaf History Month was originally celebrated March 13 – April 15 to celebrate when I. King Jordan became the first Deaf President of Gallaudet University (a university for students who are deaf and hard of hearing) on March 13, 1988, the founding of Gallaudet University on April 8, 1864, and the opening of the American School for the Deaf on April 15, 1817.
It has been moved to April 1 – 30 to be more inclusive of all experiences across the Deaf Community, including marginalized communities, and focus less on the history of schools. The National Association of the Deaf has stated that the “decision is partly based on a mandate from our delegates that the NAD engage in efforts to dismantle racism within our community, and this requires ensuring that our historical lens must include the experiences of BIPOC Deaf People. The efforts of NDHM must celebrate and recognize all Deaf People in the U.S., especially BIPOC Deaf People.”
Deaf Culture
The Deaf community is full of individuals with a variety of experiences and backgrounds; there isn’t a singular way to tell the Deaf experience.
Facts about Sign Language You May Not Know
- Plains Indian Sign Language, used by Indigenous Deaf people, was first documented by Spanish Settlers in the 1500s. It is now considered an endangered language due to American Sign Language being pushed heavily as the standard sign language in the United States. Indigenous communities are working to preserve Native sign languages and were able to showcase Plains Indian Sign Language at this year’s Super Bowl.
- Black American Sign Language was created by the Black Deaf community when schools were segregated. BASL differs in two ways - signs tend to be produced farther away from the body and BASL signers often prefer two-handed signs over the one-handed signs of ASL.
- The oralism movement of the 1800s and early 1900s also sought to eliminate sign language altogether. For example, in the late 1800s, Alexander Bell (the inventor of the telephone) was heavily involved in and negatively influenced the educational system for Deaf children by pushing oralism (the suppression of all sign language and the forced use of spoken English and lipreading by Deaf children).
- There are at least six types of Sign Language currently used in the United States: American Sign Language (ASL), Black American Sign Language (BASL), Hawaiʻi Sign Language (HSL), Pidgin Signed English (PSE), Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), and Signed Exact English (SEE).
Sign Language is not the only type of communication used by the Deaf community
Not all members of the Deaf community use Sign Language; there are other methods of communication, so it’s important not to assume all members of the Deaf community communicate in the same way. Different methods of communication for the Deaf community include:
- Visual - such as sign language, cued speech, lip reading, and gestures
- Auditory – includes residual hearing and speech received via devices such as cochlear implants or hearing aids
- Tactile – such as braille, or other ways to translate communication into hands or other parts of the body
Read more about communicating with members of the Deaf community from the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes.
Learn more about Deaf History
- Read about how National Deaf History Month was observed in the past from the National Association of the Deaf and current acknowledgment of National Deaf History Month.
- Watch Through Deaf Eyes, available on YouTube.
- Watch CODA, a film about a child of deaf adults and her passion for singing, based in Massachusetts! After watching the film, read about how some Deaf and CODA people responded to the film based on lived experience.
- Read a biography or memoir from a member of the Deaf community. Visit Gallaudet Press’ book list to learn more.
- Have questions about the Deaf Community? Read the National Association of the Deaf’s “Community and Culture – Frequently Asked Questions."
Communication developed by Sara MacKenzie.