800 BC - 146 BC: Ancient Greece

The Greeks felt it was better to kill anyone with a disability.

The deaf were especially considered a burden in Athens, where it was believed that anyone who would be a "burden to society" should be put to death.

1803 - 1886:Ferdinand Berthier (FR)

Ferdinand Berthier (September 30, 1803 - July 12, 1886) was a deaf educator, intellectual and political organiser in nineteenth-century France, and is one of the earliest champions of deaf identity and culture.

1834: The First Silent Banquet in Paris (Banquet Silencieux, FR)

On November 30, 1834, the first Silent banquet was organized by Ferdinand BERTHIER and Alfred BOCQUIN who are themselves deaf, on the occasion of the 122nd anniversary of the birth of Abbot de l'Epée. This tradition continues to be honored in nearly every country in Europe and in the United States.

1861 - 1918: Francis Maginn (UK)

Francis Maginn (1861–1918) was a Church of Ireland missionary who worked to improve living standards for the deaf community by promoting sign language and was one of the co-founders of the British Deaf Association.

1890: British Deaf Association (BDA)

The BDA British Deaf Association (BDA) was formed in Leeds as The British Deaf and Dumb Association (BDDA) on 24th July 1890.

1893: Fédération Nationale des Sourds de France (FNSF) National Federation of France for the Deaf

1897: The Federation of French Societies of the Deaf-Mute was declared to the Ministry of the Interior, it was reorganized in 1933 under the chairmanship of Mr Eugène Ruben-ALCAIS.

1905: Kuurojen Liittoo ry, Finnish Association of the Deaf

The Association of the Deaf is an interest organization for sign language speakers. The deaf founded this own organization in 1905. The union's premises are located in the White House in Helsinki.

1907: The Nordic Council of the Deaf

The Nordic Council for the Deaf (DNR) is a non-partisan and non-religious association with the task of working to raise awareness of the linguistic and cultural interests of the deaf in the Nordic countries.

1911: Founding of the RNID (UK)

RNID is the UK charity working to make life fully inclusive for deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus.

1913: Österreichische Gehörlosenbund (ÖGLB) (AT)

The ÖGLB was founded in 1913 on the 11th Taubstummentag in Graz as the Reich Association of Deaf-Mute Associations in Austria.

1918 - 2007: A.F. Dimmock (UK)

Arthur Frederick Dimmock (15 July 1918 – 25 November 2007) was an English writer, journalist and historian. He became deaf after a bout of meningitis during early childhood.

1918: Norges Døveforbund (NDF) Norwegian Association of the Deaf

The first deaf association in Norway was founded in Oslo in 1878.