The Preservation of Sign Language by George W. Veditz

"Preservation" is a two-minute film featuring George W. Veditz, onetime president of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) of the United States, demonstrating in sign language the importance of defending the right of deaf people to their language. This film was selected to the National Film Registry at the U.S. Library of Congress in 2010. Thanks to the Gallaudet Archive for preserving this video: http://videocatalog.gallaudet.edu/player.cfm?video=2520.

Friends and fellow deaf-mutes:

The French deaf people loved de l'Epee.

Every year on the occasion of his birthday

they gather together at banquets and festivities

to show their appreciation that this man was born on this earth.

They journey to his gravesight in Versailles

and place flowers and green wreaths on his grave

to show their respect for his memory.

They loved him because he was their first teacher.

But they loved him more

for being the father and inventor

of their beautiful sign language.

For the last 33 years, the French Deaf people have watched

with eyes full of tears and hearts broken

as they have watched this beautiful sign language snatched away from their schools

For the past 33 years they have fought for the restitution of sign.

Their teachers have cast them aside and refused to listen to their pleas.

But their teachers would much rather listen to the worthless

and cruel-hearted demands of people

that think they know all about educating the Deaf!

But they know nothing about their thoughts and their souls.

They know nothing about their feelings, desires and needs.

It is like this in Germany also, as Deaf Germans and Deaf French people look to us American Deaf

with the eyes of jealousy. They look upon us Americans

as a jailed-man might look upon a free man able to wander around at will.

They freely admit that the American Deaf people are superior to them in matters of intelligence and spirituality.

They freely admit that this superiority can be credited to one thing.

It is the allowance of our use of American Sign Language in our schools.

The French Deaf People base their inferiority on one thing.

It is the fact that oralism (the use of verbal communication only)

must be taught in their schools! They have eliminated fingerspelling,

They have eliminated signs as well.

But we American Deaf are rapidly approaching some bad times in our own schools.

False prophets are now appearing

They say that our means of teaching Deaf children are all wrong.

These men have tried to educate and make people believe that the oral method is best.

But we American Deaf people,German Deaf people and French Deaf know the truth.

The truth is that the oral method is the worst.

Our beautiful sign language is beginning

to show the attempts of their efforts.

They have tried to banish sign language from our

schools, from our Churches and from the earth.

Yes, they have tried and so our sign language is deteriorating.

From the olden years, our masters of this sign language,

the Peets, the Dudleys, the Elys and the Ballards

are rapidly disappearing!

We, in past years, loved these men.

They had a precise command of sign language.

They could communicate to us using only signs and

we could understand them. But fortunately

we have several beloved users of sign language still with us.

Edward Miner Gallaudet who learned this sign language from his father, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.

There are also others who are

still with us Dr. Hotchkiss, Dr. Edward Alan Fay and Robert McGregor.

They will help preserve these signs as these men now use it.

This will continue its' passing on from generation to generations to come.

As many men have learned this sign language

we must preserve our precious sign language.

There is one known way to insure this. It is through motion picture films.

Yes, the use of moving picture films. Our National

Association of the Deaf has raised a fund of $5000 for this purpose.

We have films of Edward Miner Gallaudet, j. Hotchkisss, and McGregor.

I regret that we do not have $20,000 for we might have used it all.

If we had this amount of money we could have

performances in sign language, we could have

sermons in sign language, and lectures as well.

Not only would we American Deaf people enjoy

the benefits of this, but also German Deaf,

English Deaf people, and Italian as well. They would

also view the moving pictures. Fifty years from now, these films will be priceless.

"A new race of Pharaohs that knew not Joseph"

are taking over the land and many of our schools.

They do not understand signs

because they cannot sign.

They proclaim that signs are worthless

and of no help to the Deaf. They are enemies

of sign language and enemies of true welfare of the Deaf.

As long as we have Deaf people on earth, we

will have signs. It is my hope

that we will love and guard our beautiful sign language

as the noblest gift God has given to

Deaf people on earth. We can preserve our

beautiful language. As we cherish and protect this noble gift