1 in 25 is 4% of the town’s population. • 1 in 155 is only 0.6% of the Vineyard’s population, but compared to the nation’s average at the time—0.018%—it made a big difference. What do you think happened next? LIFE ON REAL-LIFE EYETH • Deaf islanders developed their own language, “Chilmark Sign,” now called Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL). • Deaf and hearing islanders all signed. • Deaf and hearing people worked and socialized together without barriers. • Hearing people sometimes even signed without deaf people around!
