Caribbean Deaf Histories Archive

The digital archive contains personal and community histories from deaf individuals across the Caribbean, using indigenous Caribbean signed languages. This initiative includes communities from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Providence Island (Colombia), the Bay Islands (Honduras), and Puerto Rico. This archive seeks to provide a crucial resource for education, research, and advocacy, shedding light on the often-overlooked histories of Caribbean deaf communities.

Historically, Caribbean signed languages have received minimal attention compared to spoken languages. Past ideologies and technical challenges in documenting visual languages contributed to this neglect. To the extent that the histories of Caribbean deaf communities have been documented at all, it has been done by hearing people, reported in written languages, inaccessible to most members of Caribbean deaf communities. However, recent advancements in video technology have enabled the creation of comprehensive digital collections, capturing the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of Caribbean deaf communities. These recordings contain a wealth of historical narratives from deaf people themselves, expressed in their own languages. This project utilises these collections, drawing from previous and ongoing documentation efforts, to curate an archive of Caribbean deaf history.

The project contributors comprise both deaf and hearing researchers, who each contributed to the curation and collection of archival materials. The digital archive aims to educate deaf children about their linguistic and community histories, support language rights advocacy, and serve as a multidisciplinary research resource.