Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: why go around the deaf world? / Gaurav Mathur and Donna Jo Napoli -- Sign language geography / Carol A. Padden -- Response: some observations on research methodology in lexicostatistical studies of sign languages / James Woodward -- Two types of nonconcatenative morphology in signed languages / Gaurav Mathur and Christian Rathmann -- Response: some observations on form-meaning correspondences in two types of verbs in ASL / Paul G. Dudis -- Sources of handshape error in first-time signers of ASL / Deborah Chen Pichler -- Response: modality and language in the second language acquisition of American Sign Language / Russell s. Rosen -- Getting to the point: how a simple gesture became a linguistic element in Nicaraguan signing / Ann Senghas and Marie Coppola -- Response: a point well taken: on the typology and diachrony of pointing / Roland Pfau -- Acquisition of topicalization in very late learners of libras: degrees of resilience in language / Sandra K. Wood -- Response: a critical period for the acquisition of a theory of mind? Clues from homesigners / Cyril Courtin -- Interrogatives in Ban Khor Sign Language: a preliminary description / Angela M. Nonaka -- Response: village sign languages: a commentary / Ulrike Zeshan -- Sign language humor, human singularities, and the origins of language / Donna Jo Napoli and Rachel Sutton-Spence -- Response: gesture first or speech first in language origins? / Adam Kendon -- Best practices for collaborating with deaf communities in developing countries / Amy Wilson and Nickson Kakiri -- Response: deaf mobilization around the world: a personal perspective / Yerker Andersson -- HIV/AIDS and the deaf community: a conversation / Leila Monaghan and Deborah Karp -- Response: HIV/AIDS and deaf communities in South Africa: a conversation / John Meletse and Ruth Morgan -- The language of politics in Japanese Sign Language (Nihon Shuwa) / Karen Nakamura -- Response: pluralization: an alternative to the existing hegemony in JSL / Soya Mori -- Social situations and the education of deaf children in China / Jun Hui Yang -- Response: social situations and the education of deaf children in India / Madan M. Vasishta -- Do deaf children eat deaf carrots? / Paul Scott -- First response: "We're the same, I'm deaf, you're deaf, huh!" / Donna West -- Second response: Deafhood and deaf educators: some thoughts / Paddy Ladd.

Deaf around the World is a compendium of work by scholars and activists on the creation, context, and form of sign languages, and on the social issues and civil rights of Deaf communities. Renowned contributors such as James Woodward, Yerker Andersson, and Paddy Ladd offer new histories and overviews of major topics. Each chapter is followed by a response from a pre-eminent thinker in the field. The volume includes studies of sign languages and Deaf communities in Australia, Brazil, Britain, China, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States.