About the History of Deaf Education in France

Deaf culture in France has a rich history. The French developed codified sign language in the 18th century.

Origins of French Sign Language

The first schools for the deaf originated in 18th-century Paris and were run by the Abbe de l'Épée. The type of signing used then is now called Old French Sign Language. It is thought that only 200 or so people knew the language during the 1750s.

Later Innovations

The old system was finally organized by Auguste Bébian and championed by his pupil Ferdinand Berthier, who was instrumental in popularizing deaf education in the 1820s and 1830s.

American Connection

In 1816, French sign language teacher Laurent Clerc met American Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, and the two worked together to create an American form of sign language. The two men started the first school for the deaf in the United States, the American Asylum in Hartford, Connecticut.

Deaf Schools in France

There are schools for the deaf around the world. The most prominent school for the deaf in France is Lycée des Arènes in Toulouse.

French Sign Language Today

There are between 80,000 and 300,000 people worldwide who use French Sign Language, including people in France, Switzerland, Vietnam and parts of Africa.