Building Partnerships !
etween Researchers and Stakeholder
in Language Communities!
to Empower Collaboration !
Ted Supalla, PhD!
Georgetown University!
Neurology Department!
Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery!
Sign Language Research Lab!
American Sign Language $ma$on of ASL popula$on: 1 million 500,000 Deaf & Hard of Hearing 500,000 Offspring (Deaf & Hearing) Source: SIPP (2001), Gallaudet Research Ins$tute, CPS (2003), NCDP W O R L D F E D E R AT I O N O F T H E D E A F
SIGN WiiOyAGE
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by the WFD Scientific Commission on Sign Language
Ted Supalb; United States (President)
Ritva Bergmann, Denmark
Clark Denmark, United Kingdom
Markka Jokinen, Finland
mon concern among Heritage SL stakehold
ow to ensure sustainability and quality assurance?
ample: Interpreter Imposter at Nelson Mandela memo
Sign language heritage prone to fragmentatio
•  Stakeholders versus language policy in society
•  Policy driven by “Restoring the Deaf to Society”
!
Research Background Neuroscience!
Humanities!
Techniques for Studying Sign Language Use
Neuroscience!
Humanities!
Also Using an Archaeological Approach!
LSF
0
L Epee
ASL
1817!
Clerc!
Challenge: To fill a large void !
Shedding Light on the Dark Period!
LSF
0
L Epee
ASL
1817!
Clerc!
1910-1920!
Historical ASL Films and Books pid access to historical sign language toke
Early stewardship effort!
George Veditz, 1913!
oing back 100 years...
Revealing !
the NAD’s Language
y Society "
merica"
20th Century"
Oratory traditions initiated in France"
during the 19th Century"
Sign Language Growth!
et no plan for revitalizing our infrastructure!
o we need to consider alternate models !
or passing on the language to future generations!
Empowering collabora$ons o support sign language stewardshi
ur community has commi[ed itself to measur
hat safeguard our sign language heritage. We ourish and steward its journey through cycles eglect or oppression. t the same $me, we need to be[er understan
ur history of struggles and compe$ng ideas. in Sign Language Communities empower collabora$on for introducing this unique her
children and parents, thus enlightening society. MOOC course offering in Fall 2016 “Sign Language Structure, Learning & Change” Fundamental message: The forma$on of sign language through $me is like the forma$on of other languages of the world. Acknowledgements NEH fellowships NIH and NSF Grants BCS0925073 and BCS-­‐1455756
Thanks to: –  My co-­‐author Pa[y Clark –  School and University Archivists –  Research team at Georgetown University