The History and Evolution of sign language in Europe

The history and evolution of sign language represents a remarkable journey of human communication and resilience, particularly important for deaf communities worldwide.

Early Origins and Development

Sign language has been around for a very long time, going back to the earliest human societies. In ancient Greece, as far back as the 5th century BC, people used ways to communicate without speaking. In the Middle Ages, deaf people were often left out, but monks in religious communities created a manual alphabet to communicate with each other during periods of silence.

Early European Sign Languages

In the 1500s in Britain, there was an early mention of sign language at the wedding of a deaf man named Thomas Tillseye in 1575. British Sign Language later played a role in shaping sign languages used in former British colonies like India, Australia, and some areas in Europe.

Breakthrough in Formal Education

In 1771, a big event happened when Abbe Charles Michel de L’Epee started the first free public school for deaf people in Paris, called the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes. This school was very important in creating Old French Sign Language. Students from all over France came to the school and shared the signs they used at home. L’Epee used these signs to help make a standard sign language.

French Influence

In the 18th century, something important happened in Paris. A small group of deaf people was using Old French Sign Language. Abbe Charles Michel de l’Épée made big improvements to this.

Creating the first school for the deaf in Paris
Developing his own manual alphabet, inspired by the manual alphabet of the monks.
Combining signs with French grammar
Establishing what eventually became French Sign Language

Challenges and Recognition

The development of sign language faced significant obstacles:

The Milan Conference: In 1880, the International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Milan declared oral education superior to sign language, leading to a significant decline in sign language use in schools.

The Vancouver Apology (2010): A historic moment occurred at the 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED) in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. The congress formally rejected and apologised for the 1880 Milan Conference resolutions. The 2010 apology marked the official end to over 130 years of systematic oppression of sign language in deaf education, finally giving formal recognition to the damage caused by the 1880 Milan Conference resolutions.

European Diversity Today

Modern Europe has a rich diversity of sign languages:

Multiple National Languages: Each European country typically has its own national sign language, with some countries having multiple sign languages and/or variants. For example:

Finland uses both Finnish Sign Language and Finnish-Swedish Sign Language
Switzerland has Swiss-German, Swiss-French, and Swiss-Italian Sign Languages
Belgium uses French-Belgian and Flemish Sign Language

Current Status

In the European Union (in 2024):

There are 30 different sign languages across 27 member states
Approximately 750,000 deaf sign language users exist in the EU
The total number of sign language users (including hearing people) is estimated at 8.5 million

Modern Recognition

Sign languages are now recognized as indigenous languages of Europe, though their use in education varies across the continent. The European Commission actively supports sign language recognition through:

Funding educational projects
Supporting the European Union of the Deaf
Promoting accessibility initiatives