RADSCC - Deafmute Banquets

Photo of deaf artwork and people at event
 

RIT ASL and Deaf Studies Community Center
Deaf-mute Banquets

Support RADSCC
and TRIPOD

RADSCC Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Location:
Classroom: WAL-1660
Office: WAL-1661

Deaf-mute Banquets

Some background on Deaf-mute banquets

A few interesting sites and discussions that include information about the origin of the Deaf-mute banquets in France:

(Largely from the HeART of Deaf Culture - History Part II):
“In the early 1800s three Deaf educators, Jean-Ferdinand Berthier, Cladius Forestier, and Alphonse Lenoir established an annual banquet in order to honor the anniversary of the birth of Abbé de L'Épée, the founder of the first permanent Deaf school to use sign language. Because of the importance of this event, this first banquet has been described as the "birth of the Deaf-Mute nation" (Mottez, 1993) and a "first step in developing a conscious Deaf history" (Quartararo, 2002).”

Abbé de L'Épée's achievements:

  • chose to teach through sign language instead of spoken language method
  • established first public school for the deaf in Paris in 1771
  • his efforts on behalf of education of the deaf have influenced both deaf and hearing people worldwide

For the 300th birthday anniversary of L'Épée, NTID resurrected the Deaf-mute banquets and every year selects a Deaf educator and/or anniversary event to honor.

2012 - Abbé de L'Épée's 300th Birthday anniversary
2013 - George W. Veditz's Preservation of Sign Language film 100th Anniversary
2014 - Deaf View/Image Art De'VIA 25th anniversary
2015 - Andrew Foster's 90th Birthday anniversary
2016 - The First 200 Years: A Celebration of ASL
2017 – Día de los Muertos Celebration (Day of the Dead—Latin American Culture)
2018 - Remembering Deceased NTID Faculty and Staff
2019 - Tribute to Deaf Artistic Ancestors
2020 - Virtual Special Remembrance of Abbé de L'Épée and Past DeafMute Banquets