Deaf History

History Through Deaf Eyes
Gallaudet University History Department - "We have been called deaf-mutes, mutes, objects of charity, deaf and dumb, semi-mutes, dummy, and now, hearing impaired. We have been described as 'the most misunderstood among the sons of man.' Some of us are deaf and some of us are Deaf. Some of us use American Sign Language and some of us do not. This exhibition is our untold and largely unknown history. It is American history…Through Deaf Eyes."

Deaf History Unveiled
The 16 essays featured in Deaf History Unveiled offer the current results of Harlan Lane, Renate Fischer, Margret Winzer, William McCagg, and 12 other noted historians in this field.

20th Century Chicago Stories - Deaf Lives and Experiences

Interviews that preserve and tell the stories and histories of the Chicago Deaf community.

George W. Veditz ASL Films
The George W. Veditz Collection is a group of films that were produced by the National Association of the Deaf from 1910 through 1920, for the preservation of excellent examples of sign language. The N.A.D. was concerned that "pure" sign language might disappear under the pressures of oralism, and made these films so that future generations might see master signers of the past.

Martha's Vineyard - Where It was Normal to be Deaf & Hearing Had to Learn Sign
Early Martha's Vineyard settlers carried a gene for deafness. Over the years, generation after generation was born with hearing loss. This article explains details of the "Deaf Utopia".

Laurent Clerc: Father of American Deaf Education

Detailed history of Clerc's impact on American Deaf history, provided by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center

Deaf History International
Informational website about the 5th Deaf History International conference in Paris, France (2003)

Deaf & HOH Culture & Information Deaf History page
Come in, make yourself comfortable, have a cup of cappuccino, and enjoy learning about Deaf History!

Deaf Time-Line
ASLInfo.com time-line: 1000 BC - 1816 AD

"Love is Never Silent"

Based on the Joanne Greenberg novel “In This Sign”, this film stars Mare Winningham as a young hearing girl with deaf parents. Winningham has spent most of her Depression-era childhood as her parents' only conduit to the outside world. When a close family friend (Sid Caesar in a towering non-comic performance) asks Winningham if she isn't sacrificing the opportunity for happiness on her own, she carefully considers his words. She marries Frederick Lehne, at which point her embittered parents close off their relationship with their daughter. How Ms. Winningham manages to bridge this gap is the focus of the film's final scenes. The parents are played by Ed Waterstreet and Phyllis Frelich, longtime members of the National Theatre for the Deaf. The Emmy-winning “Love is Never Silent” was originally presented as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special.