37.784, Confs: History of Sign Language Emergence, Transmission, and Change (Netherlands)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-784. Thu Feb 26 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.784, Confs: History of Sign Language Emergence, Transmission, and Change (Netherlands)

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Date: 24-Feb-2026
From: Adrien Dadone [handslabteam at hum.leidenuniv.nl]
Subject: History of Sign Language Emergence, Transmission, and Change


History of Sign Language Emergence, Transmission, and Change
Short Title: THS 2026

Date: 10-Jul-2026 - 10-Jul-2026
Location: Leiden, Netherlands
Contact: Dadone
Contact Email: handslabteam at hum.leidenuniv.nl
Meeting URL:
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/2026/07/symposium-through-the-hands-of-signers-history-of-sign-language-emergence-transmission-and-change#call-for-abstracts,registration

Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
Language Family(ies): African Deaf Sign Languages; Asian Deaf Sign
Languages; European Sign Language; Sign Language

Submission Deadline: 12-Mar-2026

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, at Leiden
University (Leiden, The Netherlands). 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.
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!
We invite on-stage and poster presentations. Presentations are
in-person only, unless under exceptional circumstances including visa
issues. Online streaming will be provided.
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 communities
 - 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
Deadline submission abstracts: March 12, 2026
Please submit your abstract using this form:
https://easychair.org/cfp/THS_2026



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