American Sign Language (ASL) is the language of the deaf. Between half a million to two million deaf individuals and those who communicate with those individuals, use ASL. Though called American, it is also used in parts of Mexico, Canada and in parts of Asia, Africa and South America. Before the establishment of ASL, languages for the deaf were cultural and varied by what region or town one might live in, today the deaf use one basic language.
The ASL of today was first established by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a minister and founder of the first school for deaf students in the United States back in 1856. He first became interested when he met his neighbor’s daughter who was deaf. He wanted to teach her to communicate easily with others so he decided to attend a school for the deaf in Paris in 1815 to learn the language. When he returned to America he brought another man with him who was a sign language instructor, named Laurent Clerc. Clerc became the first instructor at Gallaudet University; The University is located in Hartford, Connecticut and is considered to be the authority on everything deaf. The sign language that was first developed at Gallaudet was deemed the most expressive and comprehensive in the world. By 1863, 22 more schools for the deaf were opened in America and today there are even more.
Deaf and Hearing Impaired Resources
• Benefits of Learning Sign Language - Walden University
• Deaf Studies of Online Services- Wallace Library
• Hearing Impairment Resources
• Hearing Impairment Directory
American Sign Language Information
• National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders
• Overview of American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters
• American Sign Language & Deaf Studies
Learning American Sign Language
• Finger spelling Video Player
• Registry for Interpreters of the Deaf
Additional Resources
• Importance of Classroom Interpreting
