A Shared Language

The school founded by Carl Oscar Malm’s played a central part in the birth of Finnish sign language. Malm taught his pupils in sign language, which he had learned in Sweden. By late 19th century, the use of sign language had become widespread in the Finnish deaf community. This was the language described in the first Finnish sign language dictionary, which was completed in the 1910s. The language later continued to diverge into two distinct variants: Finnish and Finnish-Swedish sign language.

Early on, the sign community developed its own culture. Association powerhouse and sculptor Albert Tallroth conducted sign language choirs as early as in the 1890s. The performances were described as sign-language singing. The first theatre performances in sign language were seen at association events at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Deaf Culture Days have been organised since 1956.

Interest in the linguistic research of Finnish sign languages picked up at the end of the 1970s. The study showed that sign languages met the criteria for a natural language. At the same time, research into sign languages increased, the deaf awareness movement was born and the legal and societal status of sign language was improved. They opened deaf people important new opportunities to become a part of the academic community.