Conference
Symposium: Through the Hands of Signers: History of sign language emergence, transmission, and change
- Date
- Friday 10 July 2026
- Time
- Address
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 0.11
The Vici project Through the Hands of Signers invites everyone to participate in its kick-off symposium on the History of Sign Language Emergence, Transmission, and Change on July 10 2026.
The symposium will bring together researchers, students, and international professionals with the aim of promoting the exchange of research and experiences, as well as reflecting on sign languages from a broad historical perspective, encompassing their early records, sociolinguistic development, and contemporary uses. Discussions will address the spread and transmission of sign languages across different social, educational, religious, and sporting contexts, as well as the influence of geopolitical dynamics, institutional policies, archival sources, and technologies on their circulation, preservation, and ongoing development.
The symposium will take place after the FEAST Conference in Amsterdam, which itself follows the Clin d’Œil Festival in Reims, France. This promises to be a rich week for sign languages!
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Watch the video on the original website orCall for abstracts
We invite on-stage and poster presentations. Presentations are in-person only, unless under exceptional circumstances including visa issues. Online streaming will be provided. More information about the submission process can be found on this website soon.
- Languages of abstract & presentation: International Sign & English (if possible, NGT interpretation will be offered during conference)
- Written abstracts should be anonymised and not be longer than two pages in length (including tables, examples and references), in 12-point type, single line spacing and 2.5 cm margins.
- Signed abstracts should not be longer than 5 minutes and must contain an image incrustation of the references.
- Deadline submission abstracts (extended): March 19, 2026
- Announcement of the abstract results: April 16, 2026
We invite abstracts on the following topics:
1) History, politics, and global dynamics
- Geopolitical dynamics and their influence on sign language histories
- The Milan Congress and the transmission of sign languages: myths and reality
2) Education and linguistics
- Deaf school archives
- Old sign language and modern sign languages: what are the linguistic differences?
- Emergence of sign languages
- Spread of sign languages across the globe: background and perspectives
- Sociolinguistic factors shaping the histories of sign languages, including the impact of sign language recognition on their development
- The relevance of preserving deaf histories and sign languages
3) Religion, sport and technology in deaf communitie
- The contributions of deaf religious groups to the deaf community
- The role of deaf sport associations in the transmission of sign languages
- The role of technology in sign language spread, transmission and use
Registration
Please register via the button below. For in-person participation, the registration deadline is 30 June.
Participation in free of charge.
Programme
Thursday, 9 July 2026
Social activities (TBA)
Friday, 10 July 2026
|
09:00 – 09:20 |
Check-in and coffee |
|
09:20 – 09:40 |
Opening |
|
09:40 – 10:20 |
"Spoken words are cold to the heart of deaf people": the impact of religion on the history of sign languages . Key speaker: Corrie Tijsseling, (Koninklijke Kentalis). |
|
10:20 -10:40 |
The unexpected consequences of the Milan Congress on the transmission of sign language in France . Florence Encrevé. |
|
10:40 – 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
|
11:00 – 11:20 |
Czech Sign Language Transmission in Late 19th-Century Bohemia: The Prague Institute and the Continuity of Signing after Milan. Lenka Okrouhlíková. |
|
11:20 – 11:40 |
Beyond Milan: Transnational Circulation, Co-Equality, and the Intensification of Deaf Political Advocacy Post-1880 . Joseph Murray. |
| 11:40 – 12:40 |
Poster session
|
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch |
|
14:00 – 14:40 |
History of Sign Language Emergence and Community: A Linguistic Colonialism. Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, (Kyambogo University). |
|
14:40 – 15:00 |
All together now: Complementary community roles in language creation. Marie Coppola and Ann Senghas. |
|
15:00-15:20 |
Recognition without Transformation? Tracing sociolinguistic trajectories of Italian Sign Language. Amir Zuccala' and Sabina Fontana. |
|
15:00 – 15:20 |
Coffee Break |
|
15:40- 16:00 |
Across borders: Tracing Spanish signs in Portuguese Sign Language (LGP). Carla Benge, Mariana Martins and Marta Morgado.
|
|
16:00 – 16:20 |
History, Emergence, Transmission, and Development of Malawian Sign Language: Challenges and Progress. Malonje Phiri. |
|
16:20 – 16:40 |
Algerian Sign Language: Historical emergence, regional variation, and the challenges of documentation in a postcolonial context. Hicham Abdelouafi. |
|
16:40 – 17:00
|
Changing Signs & Signs of Change: How variation and language contact shape change in Flemish Sign Language . Margot Janssens, Jorn Rijckaert, Heidi Verhelst, Fien Andries, Inez Beukeleers, Beatrijs Wille, Hilde Nyffels, Mieke Van Herreweghe and Myriam Vermeerbergen. |
|
17:00 – 17:20 |
A window into language contact, transmission, and change: A study on personal name signs in Langue des Signes de Côte d'Ivoire (LSCI). Angoua Tano, Erin Wilkinson and Ashley Beard. |
|
17:20 – 18:00 |
Closing |
|
18:00 – 21:00 |
Social program: Hoopa |
Contact
For more information or questions, contact Glaucia Rodrigues Vermue, g.rodrigues.vermue@hum.leidenuniv.nl.