No one person invented sign language - it evolved world-wide in a natural fashion, much the way any language evolved. We can name a few people as the innovators of specific signing manuals. Each language English, French, German etc developed their own respective sign languages at different times. American sign language (
ASL) is closely related to French sign language.
- In 1620, the first book on sign language that contained the manual alphabet was published by Juan Pablo de Bonet.
- In 1755, Abbe Charles Michel de L’Epee of Paris founded the first free school for deaf people, he used a system of gestures, hand signs, and fingerspelling.
- In 1778, Samuel Heinicke of Leipzig, Germany founded a public school for deaf people, where he taught speech and speechreading.
- In 1817, Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded America's first school for deaf people, in Hartford, Connecticut.
- In 1864, Gallaudet College, in Washington, D.C was founded, the the only liberal arts college for deaf people in the world.
Innovations for the Hearing Impaired
