* Audism: Audism, the prejudice against Deaf people and their culture, has played a significant role. It was common to believe that Deaf people were "less than" and that they should be "cured" of their deafness. This belief led to the view that sign language was a primitive form of communication, not a fully-fledged language.
* Oralism: For many years, the dominant method of educating Deaf children was Oralism, which focused solely on spoken language. This approach emphasized lip reading and speech therapy and discouraged the use of sign language. Oralism saw sign language as a barrier to integration and a hindrance to learning spoken English.
* Lack of Academic Study: The lack of academic research and linguistic analysis on ASL contributed to its lack of recognition. Until the late 20th century, few scholars studied sign languages, and their findings were not widely disseminated.
* Social and Cultural Factors: Deaf communities were often isolated and marginalized, lacking the political and social power to advocate for their language and culture.
The Shift Towards Recognition:
In the late 20th century, several factors contributed to the growing recognition of ASL:
* Deaf Activism: Deaf people began to organize and advocate for their rights, including the right to use their language. The Deaf community's activism played a crucial role in raising awareness about ASL and its importance.
* Linguistic Research: More academic research on sign languages began to emerge, demonstrating their complexity and grammatical structures.
* Changing Attitudes: As society became more accepting of diversity and the rights of minorities, attitudes towards Deaf people and their language began to change.
* The Bilingual-Bicultural Model: The adoption of the Bilingual-Bicultural Model in Deaf education, which recognizes ASL as a language of equal value to English, led to a significant shift in how ASL was viewed.
Today, ASL is widely recognized as a full-fledged language with its own unique grammar, syntax, and semantics. It is a vital part of Deaf culture and a valuable tool for communication and learning.