When people think of American Sign Language, many mistakenly think of Helen Keller as the first heroine of this amazing visual language. Alice Cogswell is actually the little girl who perhaps inspired the start of Deaf education in America. She was the first student enrolled in the American School for the Deaf back in 1817. With the establishment of this school, a standardized sign language in America was born. Read and decide for yourself! Was Alice a heroine in Deaf history or just a humdrum girl who lived in the 1800's? Sarah-Jane Smalls was raised near Gallaudet University and attended mainstream schools. She enjoys working as a certified ASL interpreter and spends her free time writing and day dreaming or soaking in a hot tub with a good book.