Who is credited with creating sign systems used to encode English?

• A. Educators
• B. Deaf students
• C. Sign language interpreters
• D. Linguists

Answer: (A)

Sign systems that encode English were created to make English visible through signs, not as natural languages. Educators in Deaf education developed these manually coded English systems to support reading and writing in English for Deaf students, providing a bridge between sign and written English in the classroom. While Deaf students, linguists, and interpreters contribute in important ways to sign language and interpretation, these encoding systems originated from teachers and researchers working in educational settings to aid English literacy. That traditional origin is why educators are credited with creating these systems.