Milan Conference
In 1880, the International Congress on education of the Deaf met in Milan, Italy to discuss the methods use to teach deaf children. At this conference, it was declared that the oral method of teaching is superior to the manual (sign) method. (Berke, 2014)
In 1880, the International Congress on education of the Deaf met in Milan, Italy to discuss the methods use to teach deaf children. At this conference, it was declared that the oral method of teaching is superior to the manual (sign) method. (Berke, 2014)
A couple days prior to this conference, deaf Italian students practiced their staged exam with their teachers. The purpose is to show the audience of how well this oral method works and that it should be adapted everywhere. In attendance were 164 delegates, all non-Deaf, the majority being oralists from France and Italy. (Bahan et al. 1996, p. 61) The conference passed a resolution to ban sign language, thus enforcing the oral way of teaching deaf children. After the conference, Deaf teachers lost their jobs and students were forced to communicate by speaking and lipreading. This caused many Deaf people to panic and fight to save their language and culture. (Berke, 2014)
The Preservation of Sign Language
George W. Veditz, a famous teacher of the deaf and the National Association of the Deaf's 7th president created this video as part of a project to preserve sign language. (Lapiak, 2015)
George W. Veditz, a famous teacher of the deaf and the National Association of the Deaf's 7th president created this video as part of a project to preserve sign language. (Lapiak, 2015)
English Translation: http://www.rid.org/UserFiles/File/pdfs/veditz.pdf
"As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs. And as long as we have our films, we can preserve signs in their old purity. It is my hope that we will all love and guard our beautiful sign language as the noblest gift God has given to deaf people." (Veditz, 1913)