The Martha's Vineyard Sign Language Project

In historical America, Martha’s Vineyard was once a signed language community, and this project is to bring it back as part of signed language-friendly environment. Through the research and collaboration with the community partners from the island (e.g., Martha’s Vineyard’s Signs Then & Now – a project under a public access  MVTV station, town libraries, and the Chamber of Commerce), the researchers from Clemson’s American Sign Language program and the partner from MV Signs Then and Now will lead and assist in a variety of projects such as creating signed language webinars, conducting archival research with island’s librarians, and working with the TV station to provide programs that include signed language. The purpose of this research is to educate the community partners, business owners, and residents about signed language and help them experience the practical solutions signed language can bring its community and encourage them to use signed language to make the island a signed language-friendly environment for not only signing deaf individuals but everyone. The main goal of this research and development is to learn more about how collaboration with community partners and business owners works via outreach programs and to make it a model for creating a signed language-friendly environment in society.