Manual Sign Language

Manual sign language was developed so that deaf people could communicate with one another.  There are many types of sign language ... most major languages have an alphabet, a grammar, and terms that express abstract concepts.  Sign languages are no different.  Most of the standardized sign languages consist of an alphabet, and grammar, and signs that represent sophisticated events, actions and concepts. 

For example, the American Sign Language alphabet is:

Sign language is used by the deaf and the deaf/blind all over the world.  In North America, over a million people are fluent in American Sign Language.  Practically every state in the US has a School for the Deaf.

For more information on sign language, you can search the Internet using your favorite search engine, or you can start by trying out the following links:

American Sign Language Information
American Sign Language Resources
HandSpeak - A Subscription Site for Sign Language
A Comprehensive Listing of Resources for the Deaf
National Association for the Deaf
 

Welcome to Ivy Green, a web site devoted to illustrating the childhood home of Helen Keller, also called Ivy Green, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Below you will find links for a short Helen biography that was turned in as an assignment by Sarah Demirhan, age 11, from Campbell, California, as part of a Helen Keller scrapbook. You will also find a picture gallery, that includes detailed alternate text descriptions of each picture. We hope you enjoy your virtual visit to Ivy Green.