Phrase Book of American Sign Language by Lou Fast, Illustrations by Betty G. Miller

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 430 million people, or about 5% of the world population, possess some sort of disabling hearing impairment. Because these impairments can limit the ability of people to efficiently communicate with others through speech, many of those affected utilize sign language to talk. Although there is an international sign language, over 300 other sign languages are used by deaf people worldwide for communication. To spread awareness about these unique languages and the necessity of their widespread integration into society, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly designates September 23rd as the International Day of Sign Languages.

The history of sign language dates back to the Renaissance era. Before this period, deaf people were somewhat dehumanized and denied rights to marriage and property, among other things, due to a claim made by the famed Greek philosopher Aristotle that deaf people were incapable of learning and could not be educated. However, with the influx of new Renaissance ideas came a fierce drive to disprove this claim. One popular method of educating the deaf came from Spanish priest Juan Pablo de Bonet, who is credited with the development of the first manual alphabet. Bonet used various hand shapes to represent different sounds of speech and thus planted the seeds for the creation of full-fledged languages in the future.

In 1771, the first free public school intended for the education of deaf people was established in Paris by French priest Abbe de L’Epee. Many students from all over France attended the school, and they brought with them their own unique signs, which L’Epee used to create a standardized sign language that would spread across the European continent as more deaf students became educated. One of the school’s graduates, Laurent Clerc, traveled to the United States in the early 19th century and aided in the establishment of the American School for the Deaf in Connecticut, the first one of its kind in the States. The school helped spread sign language even further throughout the world and is still active today, educating just under 200 students as of last year.

These influential people and innovative institutions paved the way for the growth of sign language worldwide. However, these languages do not receive as much attention from society as they deserve. The UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities deems sign languages as equal in status to spoken languages. Yet, most schools in America do not offer courses on sign languages or include lessons on them in their curriculum, making it more difficult for deaf people to communicate with others and integrate themselves into society. I have not been taught any sign language throughout my many years in elementary, middle, and high school. For this reason, among others, the UN established the International Day of Sign Languages as a means of closing the gap between deaf people and other members of society.

By taking some time to learn a bit of sign language or advocating for it to be taught in more schools, you, too, can contribute to this important cause and help make the process of creating a more inclusive and accommodating community for deaf individuals easier.