History of Deaf People, Deaf Education, and ASL

Hammurabi's code: Advocated for fair treatment of the deaf, widows, and orphans.
Socrates: Suggested sign language as a means of communication.
Aristotle: Erroneously claimed that deaf individuals were incapable of reason, impacting their societal status during the Middle Ages.
Plato: Acknowledged that mute individuals communicated using hand gestures.
Roman Society: Differentiated rights based on whether deafness was congenital (fewer rights) or acquired later in life (retained rights if they could write).
Hebrew Law: Advocated compassionate treatment, instructing not to curse the deaf or cause them to stumble.

Deaf individuals were excluded from Catholic sacraments due to their inability to speak, affecting their participation in religious life.
They were often barred from inheriting land or money due to the perception of being incapable of managing their own affairs.
British Sign Language (BSL) was referenced as early as 1575 in parish registers documenting marriage ceremonies.
Lawyer Lasso argued for inheritance rights for deaf individuals who couldn't speak.
Ponce de Leon, a Spanish monk, initiated deaf education focusing on speech production for religious participation.
Juan Martin Pablo Bonnet developed a one-handed manual alphabet in 1593, which was later published in 1620.
A two-handed alphabet was developed in England in 1698.
Samuel Heinecke established the first oral school for the Deaf in Germany.
Erinaldi advocated for early intervention for deaf children, starting as early as four years old.
Deaf education was primarily accessible to affluent families who could afford private tutoring.

Abbe Charles Michel de la Peixe established the first free school for deaf children in Paris in 1760.
De la Peixe utilized Bonnet's one-handed alphabet and existing sign language.
He created methodical signs to align sign language with French grammar.
Emphasis was placed on speech development.
After De La Pay's death, Abbe Sicard and Laurent Clerc promoted deaf education, demonstrating the capabilities of deaf children to solve math problems and answer questions using sign language.

In 1814, Thomas Gallaudet began tutoring Alice Cogswell, utilizing the French sign language alphabet.
Gallaudet traveled to Europe to study deaf education methods, eventually meeting Sicard and Laurent Clerc.
In 1817, Gallaudet and Clerc established the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, initially named the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons.
The school facilitated the formation of a large deaf community, contributing to the evolution of ASL.
By 1900, deaf schools were established in nearly every state, standardizing sign language.
Alice Cogswell died in 1830 and Thomas Gallaudet died in 1851.
Edward Minor Gallaudet became president of the first college for the deaf, which is now Gallaudet University.
Alexander Graham Bell advocated for oralism, establishing a school in Boston to promote this approach.

In 1880, a resolution was proposed at the International Congress for Teachers of the Deaf in Milan, Italy, which favored oral methods over sign language. The resolution passed.
The Milan Congress had a big impact on deaf students for over a hundred years.
The Milan Congress resulted in:
- New students being isolated from signing students in schools.
- Schools for the deaf became oral instead of sign.
- Deaf teachers being not allowed to teach deaf children anymore.
ASL survived as an underground language in dormitories and playgrounds.
Alexander Graham Bell advocated against marriage between deaf people.
In response, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was formed in 1880 to preserve ASL and protect the rights of deaf individuals.

In 1967, Roy Holcomb proposed total communication, advocating for any method to teach deaf children.
In the 1970's the first IDEA law was passed.
The Texas School for the Deaf was established as its own state agency and is not under the Department of Ed.