Deaf History

The deaf Histoire is an important component of the deaf culture. Same manner that the History starts with the creation of the writing, the history of the deaf community starts with the language of the signs. She recalls to her members the combat and tests which took place and still take place for the recognition and the respect of the language of the signs and watch the birth of the deaf culture, some of her values and her myths.

A “prehistory” marked by the negative prejudices

Hearing automatically associate the language with the oral examination. The term even of language in is revealing. Plato expressed that very clearly, by saying that somebody who does not speak, cannot think.

This thought remained marked very a long time in our history. Stupidity was de facto related to deafness. One could not imagine the intelligence at a deaf person. Expressions are still today the sad witnesses like “sourdingue”. Only the privileged people could hope to find a professor to try to teach the word with the young deaf persons.

Iberian beginnings

In 1620, Juan de Pablo Bonet publishes a Réduction of the letters to their primitive elements and art to teach with speaking to the dumb men following the assumption of responsibility about education about Shine of Velasco, marquis of the Ash (1610 - 1664), wire deaf person of the constable of Castille, Juan Fernández de Velasco (1550 - 1613). This work made of him one of the pioneers of education oralist of the deaf persons, and the author of the first handbook of Orthoepy, Phonetic Logopedics and in Europe. Spain of Philippe III is with the apogee of its power and of its richness, the constables of Castille is, by protocol, the second character of the kingdom and the education of wire (it was puiné and deaf, which is the case of small Luis) constitutes a social obligation.

But Juan de Pablo Bonet is not the first to have dealt with the education of deaf wire of the good Spanish families. In the Castille rich person, the primacy of education for the deaf persons returns to Pedro Ponce of León (1520-1584), monk Benedictine of the monastery of the Sauveur saint of Madrid which opened, in its monastery, the first classes specialized. It is not known to have invented the language of the signs (nor recognized its use among its pupils) but it mentions and promotes in its writings the use of the dactylologic Alphabet to spell the words, a use in addition very undoubtedly preexistent in the monastic orders (like that of the Carmel) where the monks and moniales make wish of Silence.

The Iberian world having entered a deep economic, political and intellectual decline, the innovation on the matter moves in France of the 18th century (then country more developed with England of John Wallis (1616-1703) and Holland of Johann Conrad Amman (1669-1724), other pioneers of the instruction of deaf-mute). One must with the Marrane Jacob Rodrigue Péreire (1715-1780) have made the transition from the knowledge between the two countries. As of 1734, Péreire founds a specialized institute with Lisbon and is documented on the methods of education of deaf-mute (it draws largely at Juan de Pablo Bonet). It privileges the demutisation, speech reading, the early training of the reading and uses a Dactylologie adapted to the French language. Leaving Portugal in 1741, it brings its knowledge to Bordeaux. Its first pupil is Aaron Beaumarin, born about 1732. He is presented to the Academy of La Rochelle, at the beginning of 1745, in order to make note the effectiveness of the teaching method which he promotes. Another pupil, the son of the family of Azy d' Etavigny, is the subject of a Mémoire presented to Paris, with the Academy of Science, at the time of the meeting of June 11th, 1749.

Beginnings in France

At the 18th century, the author Pierre Desloges, bookbinder of trade and paper gluer for pieces of furniture, become deaf at the seven years age, establishes clearly that a language of the signs structured was usually used in France. But the Deaf persons being insulated, it is slightly uniform, and more serious, many deaf persons do not have access there, being found without language and education.

At the beginning of the 18th century, to Amiens, a deaf person of birth, Etienne de Fay says “the old deaf person of Amiens”, managed to be a professor, architect and draftsman, made the school in gestures with deaf children in the Midsummer's Day Abbey.

Charles-Michel of the Sword

The Abbot of the Sword is undoubtedly the most known historical figure of the Sourde population. This hearing is at the origin of the specialized teaching exempted to the young deaf persons, as well as the access to methods gestural to conclude this education.

Born on November 25th, 1712 in Versailles where his/her father was architect of the king, Charles Michel of the Sword will carry out a beginning of a little surging career. First of all graduate from theology, one draws aside it from this career because of his sympathies towards the Jansenists. It will launch out in the right, then returns to ecclesiastical functions.

The event which will mark its life and its career unrolled in 1760. This episode is told several manners between the Deaf persons. The myth shows a great dramaturgy: It introduces the Abbot of the Sword, one evening of rain beating, seeking a shelter where to protect itself. He sees then, behind a half-opened door, two binoculars, deaf persons, discussing between them thanks to signs. The abbot, intrigued, penetrates in the house and proposes with the mother to deal with the instruction of their daughters. Historical reality is undoubtedly much less singular. It is probable that it with died of their tutor, the Vavin Father, and in the absence of result by the traditional methods, that they were entrusted to the Abbot of the Sword.

Achievements

The force of the Abbot of the Sword was however not, as one often thinks it, on the language of the signs. The abbot taught with gestures and a method of its invention, the “methodical Signes”, but he did not know the language of his pupils. One can carry to his credit to have recognized the importance of gestural for the education of the deaf persons, but also to have offered a place for the deaf persons and the signs, thanks to his public demonstrations, until front the king.

Lastly, the greatest benefit which it achieved, almost involuntarily, it is to have brought together young deaf persons, formerly isolated, who have thus could develop and improve the language of the signs.

Ferdinand Berthier

Mythical character in the deaf history, Ferdinand Berthier represents a model of success and of intelligence for the deaf persons, and which, for 10 years, has not ceased being more and more developed and proposed.

Born in Louhans, in 1803, of a father surgeon, it joined the National institute of the young deaf persons in 1811 when it continues a brilliant schooling. Among his professors the young person Auguste Bébian is, hearing who is the first to use the language of the signs (and not the methodical signs of the abbot of the Sword) to teach with the young deaf persons.

Ferdinand Berthier becomes one of the first deaf professors in this same institute in 1829, then senior of the professors. It will represent at the same time the figure of the deaf intellectual and the militant for the language of the signs.

This scholar is considered, in the civil society, like one of the intellectuals of the time. Author of many books and articles, it will maintain a correspondence with the ministries and the king, like with intellectuals of his time, like Victor Hugo.

Side of activism militant for the deaf cause, Ferdinand Berthier fights all its life for the recognition of the language of the signs and the rights of the deaf persons.

The golden age

With this third generation of deaf persons arrived at the institute, is born the myth from the golden age of the deaf culture. Initially by the presence of great figure of the deaf History, like Berthier, Bébian, Clerk… but also by the birth of the combat for the recognition of the deaf culture strongly initiated by the latter. Berthier launches, in 1834, of the banquets in memory of the abbot of the Sword. The objective of these gatherings is of médiatiser the deaf persons, as the abbot of the Sword with his public demonstrations did it, but also to create the myth of the “good abbot”, hearing who included/understood the deaf persons and wanted to teach to them with the gestures.

Into parallel, the methods of education of the young deaf persons change. After the death of the Sicard abbot, successor of the abbot of the Sword, the institute finds himself without legitimate heir to this policy of teaching. New the director, made of outside, develop methods then based on the speech therapy named “oralism” whose signs are completely absent, and against which, naturally, fight the deaf intellectuals, of which Berthier, which defends a Bilinguisme language of the French signs/written.

Language of the signs

Initially, it is advisable to contradict an generally accepted idea founded often well; the language of the signs is not completely the same one everywhere in the world.

Each country has its language of the signs, fruit of its history and its culture. One precisely finds however certain similarities between the various languages of the signs, which are due either to intrinsic specificities still little studied and badly known, or to the History of their construction and diffusion.

Thus, one could note that the various languages of the signs throughout the world adopted overall same syntaxes and grammatical rules. And of the recent studies, undertaken on ethnos groups or moved back families of the remainder of civilization present the creation of the grammar of the language of the deaf persons like spontaneous and not influenced by other older languages of the plus signs.

The History also had reflected on the development of the languages of the signs in the various countries. Thus, France, with the early development of the institutes and the innovative policy of teaching by the signs, will have a radiation which will touch many countries. People come to be formed in Paris, or the pupils left abroad will then bring with them the French signs. It will be the case, in Europe, of course but also in Russia or in the United States.

The American Language of the signs

There exists, between the language of the signs French and the American language of the signs, approximately 40% of similar signs, whereas the language of the signs American and English, are for their part, very distant. This great proximity is explained by their stories at the time of the meeting of a French Deaf person, Hearing Laurent Clerc and one American, Thomas H. Gallaudet.

In 1815, Thomas Gallaudet, originating in the new world, interested by the question of deafness by Alice, the deaf girl of a friend, meets Laurent Clerc, one of most brilliant of the pupils of the institute Saint Jacques. This last, at that time, works like repeater at the institute. Gallaudet, left for Europe to inform itself on the various methods of teaching to the young deaf persons, makes his knowledge. At the beginning, the communication is done between them by the writing, on a tablecloth of table. And, whereas he has known himself only for a few days, Thomas Gallaudet proposes in Clerc to follow it to the United States, where all is to be made. The young deaf person raises demolished it and the two friends, who will become inseparable, cross the Atlantic. During the voyage, Clerc teaches the French language of the signs with Gallaudet, and learns English. Arrived at the USA, the French language of the signs will mix gradually with the signs of American, and will adapt to the culture of the place to become the ASL (American Language of the signs or American Signs Language), taught in the school rested by Clerc and Gallaudet, like in the university Gallaudet, only university in the world teaching in language of the signs, founded a few years later.

The congress of Milan

In 1880, an international congress, composed of the specialists in teaching for the deaf persons resulting from the whole world, meets in Milan. At the time of this conference, deaf persons and hearing are divided into two distinct groups, and of the discussions start in each group to know which method, of the language of the signs or the Oralisme was adapted the most to education of the deaf persons. The closed debates, the group of hearing had decided unanimously, except for the delegation étasunienne, composed of the children of Gallaudet, to reject the language of the signs and to apply the pure oral method in education of the young deaf persons. With the distress of the group of the deaf persons which had chosen the reverse. The language of the signs is regarded as gestures of monkeys, incompetents to represent subtleties and the abstract. This firm decision any possibility on a return towards the golden age of the deaf culture initiated by Berthier and the large deaf intellectuals. It poses the technique of the oralism, based on the education of the word and the labial reading like the only serious one for the deaf persons.

Thus, and under the general current of the time, preaching, through the school for all, a standardization of the programs and the suppression of the regional languages, the language of the signs was prohibited and the gradually thanked deaf professors.

The deaf alarm clock

During one century, until in the years 1980, the language of the signs is prohibited, scorned, and marginalized with only associations of deaf persons. In the establishments the least strict, it is allowed the courses of recreation. This explains the difficulties for the oldest deaf persons of holding a conversation in language of the signs in front of hearing without having a little shame. However, during years 1980 occurs what the deaf persons call the “deaf alarm clock”.

All starts with the meeting of Jean Gremion, writer, journalist and director French and of Alfredo Corrado, an American deaf artist. Alfredo arrives in France where, after one century of prohibition of the language of the signs, the deaf persons are ashamed of their language, and hide to meet.

Jean Gremion and Alfredo Corrado create in 1976, the International Visual Theater (IVT), installed in the tower of the Village of the Château of Vincennes. Consequently, they work with the requalification of the language of the signs. Their principal vector will be the theater, but the IVT will also develop a linguistic policy of research and pedagogy around the language of the deaf persons. The language classes of the signs will have already a success making it possible hearing to discover the world of the deaf persons.

Great names will leave this association: Emmanuelle Laborit, become since the director of the IVT, is made known by receiving, in 1993, the Molière of the theatrical revelation for its role in the Children of silence . Since, it is, to some extent, the ambassadress of the deaf persons. She connects the roles with the theater as with the cinema, with an impressive catalog of films. She is also regularly present on the public stage, as during her engagement against Jean Marie Le Pen, between the two turns of the Presidential election of 2002.

After the IVT, many associations of deaf persons open their doors with hearing in their proposer of the language classes of signs. These formations, the films, the theater and the engagement of several associations in sensitizing for the deaf culture, allows a better recognition of the rights of the deaf persons.

During these years and until recently, of many demonstrations are organized in order to ask the recognition of the language of the signs Frenchwomen.

In 1991, the law Fabius authorizes education in language of the signs and in 2005, she is recognized like a language with whole share.

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