Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s VineyardFrom the seventeenth century to the early years of the twentieth, the population of Martha’s Vineyard manifested an extremely high rate of profound hereditary deafness. In stark contrast to the experience of most Deaf people in our own society, the Vineyarders who were born Deaf were so thoroughly integrated into the daily life of the community that they were not seen—and did not see themselves—as handicapped or as a group apart. Deaf people were included in all aspects of life, such as town politics, jobs, church affairs, and social life. How was this possible? |
Contents
1They Were Just Like Everyone Else | 1 |
2 The History of Marthas Vineyard | 12 |
3 The Origins of Vineyard Deafness | 21 |
4 The Genetics of Vineyard Deafness | 36 |
5 The Island Adaptation to Deafness | 50 |
6 Growing Up Deaf on the Vineyard | 75 |
7 Deafness in Historical Perspective | 98 |