ASL Important People

Bernard Bragg

Manualist Donated 55 Grand to the national Association of the Deaf and the World Federation Paved the way for many deaf people to get into acting and theatre Awarded with the WRD Lifetime Achievement Award

Thomas H. Gallaudet

Manualist Established Gallaudet University Started to help the deaf when he found a deaf girl who couldn't communicate, so he showed her that she could draw pictures in the dirt. Named the father of deaf education in the United States.

Abbe De l'Epee

Manualist Established the first free deaf school in 1771 Founded the first social/religious association for people around 1750 Established 21 schools for the deaf community

Robert R. Davila

Manualist First Latino student to attend Gallaudet Served as the 9th president of Gallaudet university Became the highest ranking deaf government official ever in 1989-1992

Laurent Clerc

Manualist Helped set up Gallaudet University Renowned as "the best teacher in england" First deaf teacher of the deaf in the US

Samuel Heinicke

Oralist Father of Pure oralism Started a deaf school in Germany Made a language machine that aided in teaching deaf students to speak different letters and words

Edward M. Gallaudet

Helped develop Gallaudet University Became the first principal of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf Helped deaf people learn through wherever method they preferred

Roberta Cordano

Manualist 11th president of Gallaudet First deaf woman to ever be president at the University Among the first 50 deaf women to have earned a doctoral degree

Maryland Relay Service

Manualist A system that helps people with hearing or speech Has the number 711 or in emergencies 911 Offered to all people with trouble hearing, no matter how it happened

Marlee Matlin

Manualist Academy award winning actress even though she is deaf Has been in many popular shows such as Law and Order, Switched at Birth, and Dancing With the Stars Inspires with her quote "... deaf people can do anything but hear."

National Association of the Deaf

Manualist Advocates for deaf people in order to maintain the rights they have Administers the federal Described and Captioned Media Program Fought against the discrimination of deaf people

Amos Kendall

Manualist Co-founded Gallaudet University Founded the Kendall School Donated 20 Acres of land to deaf children's education and housing (Rose cottage)

National Theatre of the Deaf

Manualist Created massive employment for the deaf Trains thousands of deaf actors and actresses Has educated many hearing people about the deaf community and created a safe and positive environment for the deaf community

Rosa Lee Timm

Manualist Deaf Actress Uses ASL as her primary language, even as an actress Created The Rosa Lee Show, where she travels offering workshops and instructions on the art of ASL music D-pan

Sean Berdy

Manualist Deaf actor Played roles in shows and movies such as The Society (2019), Switched at Birth (2011), and Sandlot 2 (2005) Is currently both an actor and a producer

Linda Bove

Manualist Deaf actress Was in Sesame Street Won the U.S. Health Department secretaries Recognition Award in 2005 by proving that deaf and hearing people can do the same things

Alan Hurwitz

Manualist Highest point of educational leadership in the world for deaf education Became President of Gallaudet on Jan 1, 2010 Previously president of the nation technical institute for the deaf and vice president of the rochester institute of technology D-pan (Deaf Professional Actors Network)

Schools of the Deaf

Manualist Kendall demonstration elementary school: Free tuition and teaches from birth to grade 8 Marie Katzen Bach school for the deaf: School for the deaf of ages 8-21 The National Technical Institute for the deaf: Teaches deaf people from ages 4-31; considered a private university

I. King Jordan

Manualist Lost his hearing in a motorcycle accident at the age of 21 First deaf president of Gallaudet University Became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Gallaudet

Abbe Sicard

Manualist Sicard's work is what influenced Thomas H. Gallaudet Wrote "Memoir on the Art of Teaching Deaf-Mutes from Birth," and "Theory of Signs for the Instruction of Deaf-Mutes" Succeeded Abbe de L'Epee in Paris

Interpreters for the deaf

Manualist Specialists who translate English into ASL Get very little information about a job before the event They have an emergency pager, and can even get called in the middle of the night

Hearing assist dogs

Manualist The dogs are free for the people who need them You need to prove your level of deafness to get a service dog Don't only help people who are deaf, they also help anyone who may need them

Alexander Graham Bell

Oralist Helped invent/teach visible speech; taught with symbols to show tone pitch and suction Started a non profit organization to help with learning opportunities for deaf children Had the opposite views from Edward Miner Gallaudet Volta Bureau; Volta Prize; Volta Review

Evelyn Glennie

Oralist Is a musician even though she is deaf Feels the vibrations of percussion instruments to play Was given the designation as officer of the British Empire, which was upgraded to Dame Commander in 2007

Heather Whitestone

Oralist Won beauty pageants (Including Miss America in 1995) Has written 4 books about her own life and the importance of G-d Has a cochlear implant