In the history of Deaf education, few events have had as devastating and far-reaching an impact as the Milan Conference of 1880. Officially known as the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf, this meeting—held in Milan, Italy—ushered in an era that would silence Deaf voices in classrooms across the world and nearly erase sign language from formal education.
The Milan Conference was an international gathering of educators from Europe and the United States, aimed at determining the best methods for educating Deaf students. Out of the 164 delegates who attended, only one was Deaf. The majority were proponents of oralism—the belief that speech and lip reading were superior to sign language for Deaf individuals.
After a series of biased presentations, the conference concluded with a vote in favor of banning sign language in educational settings. The resolution declared that the oral method should be “preferred to that of signs in the education and instruction of deaf-mutes.”
The effects were swift and severe, particularly in Europe and the United States:
The ruling marginalized Deaf educators and forced generations of Deaf children to learn through speech-only instruction, even when it failed to meet their communication needs.
In America, the Milan decision marked the beginning of what some call the “dark age” of Deaf education. Schools across the country shifted to oralism, and American Sign Language was pushed out of the classroom.
Despite this, ASL survived underground—in homes, Deaf clubs, churches, and community gatherings. The Deaf community continued to pass down ASL from generation to generation, preserving the language even as the educational system tried to erase it.
By the 1960s, linguist Dr. William Stokoe published groundbreaking research showing that ASL was not just a collection of gestures, but a rich and complex language with its own grammar and structure. This validation sparked a revival of ASL in Deaf education and Deaf culture.
In **2010—130 years after the Milan Conference—**the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) formally rejected the resolutions passed in 1880, recognizing the harm caused and affirming the importance of sign languages and Deaf culture in education.
The Milan Conference is a powerful reminder of what happens when decisions are made without Deaf voices at the table. It shows how quickly an entire language can be suppressed and how resilient a community must be to preserve its identity.
Today, ASL is once again thriving in Deaf education and culture—but the struggle for full inclusion and respect continues. Remembering the Milan Conference is essential to ensuring that history does not repeat itself and that Deaf children always have access to their natural language.
Conclusion
The Milan Conference of 1880 stands as a cautionary tale and a call to action. It underscores the importance of Deaf leadership, linguistic rights, and educational approaches that affirm identity rather than erase it. ASL survived despite the odds—and today, it flourishes because of the strength and unity of the Deaf community.