7.3 C
London, UK
Friday, March 29, 2024

Martha’s Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island in Massachusetts and was home to the world's most famous Deaf community. Even though they were never more than a quarter of the population, nearly everyone used the local sign language which would go on to form the basis of ASL.

Can primates learn signs and acquire language?

In August 1969, Allen and Beatrice Gardner of the University of Nevada published an article in the journal Science claiming to have communicated with a chimpanzee called Washoe. She had been brought up since 1966 in the Gardner's trailer and could use 100 signs. She was intelligent enough to sign "water bird" when she saw a swan. By the time of her death in 2007, she used 250 signs.

The Life of William Shaw

William Shaw (1869-1949) was arguably the greatest Deaf inventor. He invented Deaf-friendly doorbells, alarms, clocks, baby monitors and phones.

Celebrating deaf and hard and hearing women

To celebrate International Women’s Day, here are the achievements of 5 famous D/deaf and hard of hearing British women.
Princess Alice of Battenberg

Prince William pays tribute to deaf great grandmother Princess Alice

While on a visit to Israel, Prince William (second heir to the throne following Queen Elizabeth II’s reign) spoke fondly of his deaf great grandmother, Princess Alice, and the life she led.
Abbé de l'Eppé teaching Deaf children in front of Louis XVI

Manualism vs Oralism debate

Because humans use our eyes more than any other sense and because of our instinctive fear of the dark, most people think deafness must...
Who says deaf people can't do anything? - Dean Barton-Smith

Look back: Sporting greats – Dean Barton-Smith

It’s 25 years since Dean Barton-Smith, Member of the Order of Australia, became Australia’s first deaf Olympian at the Barcelona Olympic Games to compete...
Google Doodle

Google Doodle’s celebration of British Sign Language

As many children return to school this week, Google recently celebrated Britain's first school for the deaf, through a 'Google Doodle' of signing the letters of...
Deaf men helped NASA

‘I wanted to serve’: These deaf men helped NASA understand motion sickness in space

Extracted from The Washington Post - 5 May 2017 - By Sarah Larimer  Video above: In the 1960s, 11 men with ties to Gallaudet University...

Deaf History March 22nd 1912

If you thought that campaigning and lobbying were recent additions to the BDA's portfolio, think again. On this day one hundred and five years...