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Why Sign Language Was at one time Banned in America

For decades it was illegal to teach ASL in US schools. PBS explains why in this video.

Nov 3, 20251 min read

7 Years Ago: Kitty O'Neil Dies

Professional stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil died seven years ago today (Nov. 2, 2018) from pneumonia at the age of 72. Among other things, the deaf daredevil set a record for land speed by a female driver in 1976. It was in Oregon's Alvord Desert that Kitty hit 512 miles per hour. Childhood diseases left her deaf and nearly killed her. She became a champion diver at a young age. Her work later as a Hollywood stuntwoman was featured in TV shows like Quincy, Baretta and The Bionic Wom

Nov 2, 20251 min read

The history behind RI School for the Deaf

The Rhode Island School for the Deaf was founded by Mary Ann Lippitt who was born on this date (Oct. 7) in the year 1823. Her daughter became deaf after contracting Scarlet Fever in 1856. "Lippitt created her own program and founded the Providence Day School for the Deaf in 1876. Her husband Henry Lippitt, who had become governor in 1875, used his own influence to inspire the State to take over the administration of the school the following year." Read more here .

Oct 7, 20251 min read

On this date: The First Gallaudet University President Died

Edward Miner Gallaudet served as president (1864–1910) of the school that would become Gallaudet University. Edward was the youngest of eight children born to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. He died on this date, Sept. 26, in 1917. When plans were made to change the name of the school from the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, Edward Miner Gallaudet wanted the honor to go to his father, as a pioneer in deaf education, rather than to himself. So the scho

Sep 26, 20251 min read

On this Day 52 Years Ago: The First Deaf Player in the NFL

On this day (Sept. 16) in 1973, the first deaf player ran onto the field for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bonnie Sloan played in four games at defensive tackle and only lasted one season, because of knee injuries, but he had made his mark at the age of 25. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder was a 10th-round draft pick out of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he was the first player to bench press 500 pounds. Sloan was an All-Ohio

Sep 16, 20251 min read

The hidden history of “Hand Talk”

Long before American Sign Language, Native sign languages thrived in North America. Hand Talk would become a major influential on ASL's formation. The Vox video below explains how it came about.

Sep 3, 20251 min read

Remembering “Bummy” Burstein

Gerald “Bummy” Burstein died on this date (Aug. 31) in 2018 at the age of 91 in Riverside, California. Bummy is worth remembering for his tireless work on behalf of the deaf community even after he retired. The student center at the local deaf school carries his name. Burnstein was the certified Professional Parliamentarian for the National Association of the Deaf and the author of two books. His work for Gallaudet University led the Board of Trustees to rename the Gallaudet

Aug 31, 20251 min read

The death of a Deaf Activist

Barbara Kannapell died four years ago on August 11, 2021 in Washington, DC at the age of 83. Image from Gallaudet.edu According to the New York Times , as a CODA, Kannapell considered American Sign Language her native language and... made it her life’s work to empower deaf and hard-of-hearing people with a sense of identity and an appreciation for their own distinct culture ... Throughout her early schooling, Dr. Kannapell felt the sting of what is now known as audism — reje

Aug 11, 20251 min read

Dorothy Casterline Died Two Years Ago Today

Casterline made a major contribution in the 1950s to a book that revolutionized the study of Deaf culture. image: Gallaudet.edu Casterline was a young researcher when she begain helping Gallaudet University professor William C. Stokoe on what would become A Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles. Eventually published in 1965 with help from another professor, Carl Croneberg, it was the first comprehensive dictionary of American Sign Language and consi

Aug 8, 20251 min read

On this Day in History: The First Deaf Pro Baseball Player

Ed "Dummy" Dundon, who was born on July 10, 1859, went on to become the first deaf player to play baseball professionally After attending the Ohio State School for the Deaf, Dundon went on to play several years of professional baseball. He had two seasons with the Columbus Buckeyes before retiring and becoming an umpire. During his hitch with the Buckeyes in 1883 and 1884, Dundon had a record of 9-20 and a 4.25 ERA. Like many deaf ball players at the time, he got a common (al

Jul 10, 20251 min read