DATE
EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENTS
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The first recorded communication between
a deaf and hearing person took place.
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The first sign language book was published which
only contained the manual alphabet.
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Abbe Charles Michel de Lepee founded the first free school
for deaf people. He also created a language of signs whereby each sign was a symbol of a desired concept.
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Samuel Heinicke established the first public school for deaf
people that achieved government recognition. He focused on manual and oral speech reading. These two
methods were the forerunners of today's concept of total communication.
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Thomas Gallaudet traveled to Europe to study communication
with deaf people.
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1817
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Thomas Gallaudet founded the first school for deaf people
in the U.S. and became the first U.S. deaf sign language teacher. Soon, other schools for the deaf appeared.
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1863
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Twenty-two schools for the deaf were established throughout
the United States.
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1864
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Gallaudet College was founded in Washington, D.C.,
and remains the only liberal arts college for deaf people in the world.
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1880
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A conference in Milan, Italy banned sign language
in all countries. It was thought to be inhuman. Sign Language became an underground language. In America, sign language
began to reappear.
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1966
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An ASL scientific report showed that Sign Language
is a natural language and should be treated as such.
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1970's
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Simultaneous Communication (Simcon) or Total Communication
(TC) was developed. This system allows signing and speaking at the same time.
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1975
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Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All disabled
children are entitled to an equal education. Before 1975, over half of the hearing impaired children
in the United States didn't recieve equal opportunity in education.
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1980
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The bilingular/bicultural approach emerged. The deaf
and the hearing community learned to live in cultures with different languages and customs.
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1990
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Americans with Disabilities Act required businesses to accomodate the
deaf by using technologies, including sign language, to ensure equality.
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Today
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The United States has one of the most complete and expressive
sign language systems in the world. The U.S. even has a written form called Sign Writing. (Right) is the sign for lawyer.
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