Martha’s Vineyard: The Island Where Everyone Signed

On Martha’s Vineyard, a small island off the coast of Massachusetts, there was once a community where Deaf and hearing people communicated using the same sign language for over two centuries. 

Now famous as a vacation destination, the story of this island serves as a key example of the idea that the difficulties faced by Deaf people stem not from their lack of hearing, but from the environment created by society. 

Families from the Kent region of England settled on the island in the late 17th century. Yet, due to frequent intermarriage among islanders and the recessive nature of the gene causing deafness, Deaf children were born even to hearing parents. 

In 1854, approximately one in 155 islanders was Deaf, in contrast to the United States’ average at the time, which was roughly one in 5,730. In some areas of the island, it is said that even about one-quarter of the residents were Deaf.

Consequently, almost everyone on the island knew at least some sign language. In fact, children conversed in sign language behind their teachers' backs, farmers signaled across vast fields, and fishermen communicated with other boats at sea using sign language. Indeed, Deaf residents were integral members of the community. 

Yet of course, there were still some challenges, such as the fact that marriages between Deaf and hearing individuals were difficult to sustain.

The island's sign language became one of the roots of American Sign Language (ASL) through Deaf children who attended a school that opened in Hartford in 1817. However, the island's unique sign language slowly vanished as transportation improved and marriages with outsiders became more common. It is known that the last Deaf resident of the island, Katie West, passed away in 1952. 

Yet, although Martha’s Vineyard’s sign language no longer exists, it still holds great significance for Deaf individuals and for those who learn ASL today.