(Hello)
American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the first language of many deaf North Americans, and one of several communication options available to deaf people. ASL is said to be the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.
No one form of sign language is universal. For example, British Sign Language (BSL) differs notably from ASL. Different sign languages are used in different countries or regions.
The exact beginnings of ASL are not clear. Many people believe that ASL came mostly from French Sign Language (FSL). Others claim that the foundation for ASL existed before FSL was introduced in America in 1817. It was in that year that a French teacher named Laurent Clerc, brought to the United States by Thomas Gallaudet, founded the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Clerc began teaching FSL to Americans, though many of his students were already fluent in their own forms of local, natural sign language. Today's ASL likely contains some of this early American signing. Which language had more to do with the formation of modern ASL is difficult to prove. Modern ASL and FSL share some elements, including a substantial amount of vocabulary. However, they are not mutually comprehensible.
In spoken language, the different sounds created by words and tones of voice (intonation) are the most important devices used to communicate. Sign language is based on the idea that sight is the most useful tool a deaf person has to communicate and receive information. Thus, ASL uses hand shape, position, and movement; body movements; gestures; facial expressions; and other visual cues to form its words. Like any other language, fluency in ASL happens only after a long period of study and practice.
Even though ASL is used in America, it is a language completely separate from English. It contains all the fundamental features a language needs to function on its own--it has its own rules for grammar, punctuation, and sentence order. ASL evolves as its users do, and it also allows for regional usage and jargon. Every language expresses its features differently; ASL is no exception. Whereas English speakers often signal a question by using a particular tone of voice, ASL users do so by raising the eyebrows and widening the eyes. Sometimes, ASL users may ask a question by tilting their bodies forward while signaling with their eyes and eyebrows.
Just as with other languages, specific ways of expressing ideas in ASL vary as much as ASL users themselves do. ASL users may choose from synonyms to express common words. ASL also changes regionally, just as certain English words are spoken differently in different parts of the country. Ethnicity, age, and gender are a few more factors that affect ASL usage and contribute to its variety.
Parents are often the source of a child's early acquisition of language. A deaf child who is born to deaf parents who already use ASL will begin to acquire ASL as naturally as a hearing child picks up spoken language from hearing parents. However, language is acquired differently by a deaf child with hearing parents who have no prior experience with ASL. Some hearing parents choose to introduce sign language to their deaf children. Hearing parents who choose to learn sign language often learn it along with their child. Nine out of every ten children who are born deaf are born to parents who hear. Other communication models, based in spoken English, exist apart from ASL, including oral, auditory-verbal, and cued speech. As with any language, interaction with other children and adults is also a significant factor in acquisition.
Parents should introduce deaf children to language as early as possible. The earlier any child is exposed to and begins to acquire language, the better that child's communication skills will become. Research suggests that the first six months are the most crucial to a child's development of language skills. All newborns should be screened for deafness or hearing loss before they leave the hospital or within the first month of life. Very early discovery of a child's hearing loss or deafness provides parents with an opportunity to learn about communication options. Parents can then start their child's language learning process during this important stage of development.
Some studies focus on the age of ASL acquisition. Age is a critical issue for people who acquire ASL, whether it is a first or second language. For a person to become fully competent in any language, exposure must begin as early as possible, preferably before school age. Other studies compare the skills of native signers and non-native signers to determine differences in language processing ability. Native signers of ASL consistently display more accomplished sign language ability than non-native signers, again emphasizing the importance of early exposure and acquisition.
Other studies focus on different ASL processing skills. Users of ASL have shown ability to process visual mental images differently than hearing users of English. Though English speakers possess the skills needed to process visual imagery, ASL users demonstrate faster processing ability--suggesting that sign language enhances certain processing functions of the human brain.
National
Association of the Deaf (NAD)
[For information on sign language]
814 Thayer Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500
Voice: (301) 587-1788
TTY: (301) 587-1789
FAX: (301) 587-1791
E-mail:
nadinfo@nad.org
Internet:
www.nad.org
Alexander Graham
Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (A.G. Bell)
[For information on oral communication options]
3417 Volta Place, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Voice/TTY: (202) 337-5220
Toll Free: (800) HEAR-KID
FAX: (202) 337-8314
E-mail:
AGBELL2@aol.com
Internet:
www.agbell.org
American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
[For information on all language options]
10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
Voice/TTY: (301) 897-5700
Toll Free: (800) 638-8255
FAX: (301) 897-7355
E-mail:
actioncenter@asha.org
Internet:
www.asha.org
American Society
for Deaf Children (ASDC)
[For information on sign language]
P.O. Box 3355
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Voice/TTY: (717) 334-7922
Toll Free: (800) 942-ASDC
E-mail:
ASDC1@aol.com
Internet:
www.deafchildren.org
HOW DEAF PEOPLE COMMUNICATELook around you and you can learn to listen with your eyes. You communicate in many ways without needing your voice. You nod your head up and down and mean "yes." You shake your head back and forth and mean "no. " You scrunch your shoulders up and mean "I don't know." These are just a few of the gestures you use everyday. Sometimes when it's very important to be quiet, but you can't say "keep quiet" out loud, you show it. This is the gesture you use for it:
What do you do if you can't answer out loud when somebody asks, "Where's the elevator?" You point. Other times we say as we point, "It's over there." 
Facial expression is another way to communicate without talking. just think how much a face can tell a person who's watching. A smile, a frown, a scowl - each tells a different story. We use gestures and facial expressions each day, sometimes alone, sometimes along with spoken words, to share ideas and feelings and to communicate. But we rely on the words that we speak most of the time. Get together with some of your friends and practice communicating without words. Use your face and body to get the message across. Show these feelings without talking: tired,- afraid, shy, excited, angry. Use gesture and mime to perform these activities without using your voice:
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would happen if you couldn't hear sounds? What's it like to live
everyday and not hear your teacher talking, your baby brother's voice,
your favorite TV show? How would you communicate with other people? Deaf
people know that words—spoken sounds—don't always work for
communication. Since they can not hear what you say, they must see what
you say. For deaf people, your gestures and facial expression are
important. They can see them. The words you speak are much harder to
see.
SPEECHREADING Try these
exercises: You can feel your tongue in a different place for each word. But wasn't it hard to see the difference among the words? Now try these words and a phrase, without using your voice: "baby ... .. maybe ... .. pay me. " Can you see a difference? No. And you can't even feel the difference this time. Each of these words is formed the same way. It is the sounds we make that help us tell one of these words from the other. Even though speechreading is hard, all deaf people do speechread everyday. By helping a deaf person see what you say, you are enabling that person to speechread more easily. If you were talking with a deaf friend, how would you show the difference among these words? Yes, you'd probably use gestures. You'd also make sure that the deaf person could see your face and lips at all times. Some deaf children learn a system called Cued Speech to help them speechread better. This system uses handshapes and positions near the face to signal a possible difference between sounds. There are eight handshapes and four positions in Cued Speech. A cue means nothing by itself. It simply tells the speechreader to watch for one of three sounds that look very different on the lips.
You would never confuse the words "bee" and & I me" if you saw them cued because the handshape would tell you the difference between the two identical shapes on the lips. |
FINGERSPELLING FINGERSPELLING
PRACTICE TIPS:
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Usually when deaf
people communicate, they fingerspell only parts of the conversation,
like a name or an unusual word. In the rest of the conversation, they
use signs.
What are signs? They are basic elements of sign language, just as words are basic elements of spoken languages. You already know some signs. Let's prove it. How would you sign "baby," "smile," "cry," "eat", "cut," "rain"? Look on page I I for drawings of these signs. You'll probably find that your guesses are very much like the actual signs. But most of the time you can't guess the signs. You need to learn the signs and the way signs are put together to express thoughts and ideas -- just as you learn any other language.
 Train
But there is a difference. Sign language is a language you can see. Instead of spoken words, sign language uses visible handshapes. The different movements, placements, and positions of the hands in relationship to the body help us tell one sign from another. Let's look at a group of signs which are made using one handshape. Each sign has the same handshape but a different movement, position, or placement in relationship to the body. Some of these signs will look alike to you at first. But as you practice, you will begin to see, feel, and remember the differences in the movements and positions.
 Egg
Many signs are
made with handshapes that look like a letter of the manual alphabet. The
sign for "cat," for example, is made with a handshape that looks like
the letter "f. " 
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In the following examples, the placement and movement of the hands is the same in each sign. By changing the handshape, you make a completely different sign. Each
of the following signs is made with an actual letter of the manual
alphabet. 
Family ("f")
Can you guess how to sign "association," "organization," "team," following these examples?
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ARE SIGNS THE SAME EVERYWHERE? The main language that Americans speak is English. But sometimes Americans don't all say the same words for things. When you travel in different parts of the United States, you hear different words used for the same thing. For example, people in New England ask for "tonic." You may say "soft drink," "soda," or "pop." Some people call a popular item of footware "sneakers," others call these "tennis shoes." This happens in sign language, too. Deaf Americans can easily communicate with others when they sign. Sometimes, though, a sign in one place may differ from a sign in another. Here are some
examples. Most people in
Northern states would sign "peach" this way: 
Peach (double motion) Southerners would use this sign:  Peach (double motion) Southerners would
sign:  Orange instead of:  Orange (double motion) |
| We've already seen that signs for some words in the United States can vary. Sign languages in different countries are also as different as spoken languages. A deaf American in Russia would have to learn Russian sign language to communicate with a deaf Russian. just look at the differences among the signs for "mother" in six sign languages.
Did you notice that the sign for "mother" in England is different from the American sign? Although people from the United States and England both speak the English language, the sign languages are completely different. Even fingerspelling is different. In Britain, fingerspelling is done with two hands instead of one. |
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LEARNING SIGN
LANGUAGE After you learn some signs, you will want to use them. There are different ways deaf people put signs together to express ideas. They may follow the grammar of American Sign Language (ASL). Ways of putting signs together in ASL are different from the ways we put words together in English. Learning a sign language can be like learning any foreign language. Foreign languages are not like English. Neither is American Sign Language. It has its own grammatical rules. Sometimes, however, deaf people use signs in English word order. Look at the following illustration. You will see some identical signs in each "sentence. " But you will notice that the ASL sentence is very different from the sentence signed in English word order.
The English sentence, "Have you eaten yet?" looks different signed in American Sign Language and in English word order. 
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USING AN
INTERPRETER Sometimes deaf people use another person - an interpreter - to help with communication to and from hearing people. An interpreter is a deaf person's ears and sometimes a deaf person's voice. The interpreter listens and tells the deaf person what is spoken by all the people in a room. If a deaf person chooses not to talk, the interpreter may also speak the deaf person's message. There are sign language interpreters and oral interpreters. A sign language interpreter presents the information in sign language. Deaf people who do not know sign language use an oral interpreter who repeats the speakers' words without using voice. Deaf people who use oral interpreters are actually speechreading (lipreading) the interpreter. A Cued Speech interpreter is a special kind of oral interpreter. It is important for deaf people to use interpreters for meetings and conferences so that they understand what is said.
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Here are a few
other signs for you to know:
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MEETING DEAF PEOPLEDeafness is called "the invisible handicap" because you cannot see it. You may not know at first that you have met a deaf person. There are several ways that deaf people tell others that they arc deaf: they may simply say or write, "I am deaf," or they may show it by pointing to their ears and shaking their heads at the same time. Deaf people are not all alike. They may be as different from each other as you are from your friends. Some deaf people will use their voices, others will not. Some deaf people who use their voices may be easy to understand, others may be hard to understand. (If a deaf person is talking to you and you don't understand, relax. Give yourself time to get used to the deaf person's voice. It is hard to learn to talk when you cannot hear your own voice.) Some deaf people fingerspell, others do not. Some deaf people use sign language, others do not. Some deaf people use American Sign Language, others sign in English word order. No matter how a deaf person prefers to communicate, that deaf person must see your message in order to understand you. How will you know what kind of communication to use when you meet a deaf person? Ask the deaf person. How can you help a deaf person to see what you say?
How Deaf People Communicate?" is part of a series developed by the Info to Go (Info to Go). For more information about the series or about deafness, contact: Info to Go, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002. |
Communicating with people is something we all do everyday assuming that we can both be understood and understand others. However, in America it can be a process that is difficult to do when people use languages other than English. For deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind persons, communicating with people that do not know American Sign Language (ASL) becomes a central issue. In these situations, a sign language interpreter is hired to be sure communication and understanding occurs. Sign language interpreters mediate language barriers between people who are deaf and use ASL and people who can hear and speak English.
Communication and the Interpreter Sign
Language Fluency
Interpreter Education Ideally, interpreter education programs for Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing interpreters should cover a variety of subject areas such as the following: the role of an interpreter, a historical overview of the interpreting profession, public speaking techniques, understanding of and sensitivity to the Deaf community, linguistics and language development, the interpreter's code of ethics, physical factors involved in interpreting, the various specialized situations in which an interpreter might function, and extensive guided practice in the skills involved in interpreting. Since the profession serves a population with varied communication needs and language skills, interpreters must be versatile in order to meet the challenges, which may arise in any interpreting situation. Skills in various aspects of both ASL and English are essential, as are objectivity, flexibility, good judgment, and reliability.
Certification Employment
Opportunities
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This American Sign Language animation contains animated GIFs of the words: 'tomorrow,' 'you and I [or you and me]' and 'meet.'
Who?
Carol Padden has defined Culture as a set of learned behaviors of a group of people who have their own language, values, rules of behavior, and traditions. (1988) Culture results from a group of people coming together to form a community around shared experience, common interests, shared norms of behavior, and shared survival techniques. Such groups as the deaf, seek each other out for social interaction and emotional support.
The essential link to Deaf Culture among the American deaf community is American Sign Language. This community shares a common sense of pride in their Culture and language. There exists a rich heritage and pride in the ability to overcome adversity as individuals and as a group. Deaf power hit the World in 1988 at Gallaudet University, an event known as the "Deaf President Now" (DPN) Movement. The protest has made a mark in history and proves that Deaf Culture is Pride and that Pride is Power.
Mastery of ASL and skillful storytelling are highly valued in Deaf Culture. Through ASL Literature, one generation passes on to the next its wisdom, values, and its pride and thus reinforces the bonds that unite the younger generation.
Another feature of this Culture is the role of marriage. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 members of the American Deaf community marry other members of their cultural group. Many D/deaf couples also wish for a deaf child so that they may pass on their heritage and Culture, it is not just the language but the values, the same values that hearing parents want to instill in their children.
Carol Padden says Deaf identity itself is highly valued; members of the deaf community seem to agree that hearing individuals can never fully acquire that identity and become a full-fledged member of the deaf community. Even with deaf parents and a native command of ASL the hearing person will have missed the experience of growing up deaf, including residential school. For many members of the deaf community, speech and thinking like a hearing person are negatively valued in Deaf Culture.
As Harlan Lane states in his book Mask of Benevolence, there is a fierce group loyalty, and this may extend to protectively withholding information about the community's language and Culture. Going back to residential schools, these schools provide a vital link in the transmission of Deaf Culture and Language. Children here are able to communicate in a language readily understood by each other. Deaf children are able to partake in social clubs, sports and importantly enough, to be around deaf role models. It is important for deaf children to be encouraged to further their education and to learn that deafness does not mean you cannot grow up to be successful and happy (success of course being at each persons own perspective on what success and happiness means to them individually.) This is not to say that mainstream education is iniquitous for deaf children, but we must keep in mind that socialization is essential to a child's growth and without a common language socialization is limited.
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American Sign Language |
Interest in American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign
language has become, in the words of Gary Olsen, former Executive Director of
the National Association of the Deaf, "an American ground swell." Many colleges
and universities are beginning to recognize the study of ASL and Deaf culture as
legitimate academic pursuits and are starting to accept ASL in fulfillment of
their foreign language entrance and exit requirements. In several states, ASL is
mandated by law as acceptable in fulfillment of high school foreign language
graduation requirements.
More and more
colleges and universities are accepting ASL in fulfillment of foreign
language requirements.
The University of California system (all campuses) will soon accept ASL in
fulfillment of foreign language entrance and graduation requirements. Harvard
and Yale are among some of the schools which are investigating similar action.
Recently, we have witnessed tremendous activity by state legislatures to support
the teaching and acceptance of ASL as a foreign language. Many states now
recognize ASL as a foreign language for the purpose of meeting high school
graduation requirements.
In 1988, the parliament of the European Community, noting that there are 500,000
profoundly deaf people in member states whose first language is their national
signed language and not the dominant spoken language of their country,
recognized as legitimate languages the indigenous signed languages of the twelve
member states. Recognition and acceptance of signed languages is clearly an idea
whose time has come on an international scale.
Many questions come to mind when the topic of ASL as a foreign language is
brought up. People often ask if it is appropriate to call ASL a foreign
language. Is it really a language? Isn't it a derivative of English, on the
order of Black English? Is ASL "foreign"? -- after all, it is used in the United
States. Is there a body of literature associated with ASL? Others may note that
foreign language courses teach students about the culture of the group of people
who use the language. They may wonder if there is a full and distinct culture
associated with users of ASL.
The answers to all of these questions support the recognition of ASL as a
foreign language. Because of its unique modality -- visual/gestural rather than
aural/oral -- many people wrongly assume that ASL is fundamentally different
than spoken languages. ASL is a fully developed human language, one of the
hundreds of naturally occurring signed languages of the world. It is not a
derivative of English. It is not a "simplified" language -- it contains
structures and processes which English lacks (such as ASL's rich verbal aspect
and classifier systems). There is abundant linguistic research on ASL
demonstrating that the grammar of ASL is radically different from English --
surely as different as any of the more traditional foreign languages taught in
school. Comprehensive sources of information on the linguistics of ASL are
Linguistics of American Sign Language by Clayton Valli and Ceil Lucas (1993,
Gallaudet University Press), American Sign Language: Linguistic and Applied
Dimensions by Ronnie Wilbur (1987, Little Brown and Co.) and The Signs of
Language by Edward Klima and Ursula Bellugi (1979, Harvard University
Press).
The question of whether ASL is "foreign" depends on what we mean by foreign. ASL
is not universal; it is indigenous to the United States and parts of Canada.
This should not, however, exclude it from study as a foreign language. The
question also arises with other languages indigenous to North America. At the
University of New Mexico, for example, Navajo is taught and accepted in
fulfillment of the foreign language requirement, yet it is not used in a foreign
country. For reasons such as this, many language scholars now speak of second
language, rather than foreign language, requirements.
Some people may suggest that ASL lacks an international scope. In the hearing
world of international world affairs this is true. It is also true for many of
the spoken languages traditionally accepted to fulfill foreign language
requirements. On the other hand, in the Deaf world, ASL is quite an important
language on the international scene; for example, ASL is often an official
language of international conferences.
There is a rich body of ASL literature by and about Deaf people, as well as
texts on ASL in both written and oral modes. The folk heritage of Deaf people,
passed down through generations of ASL users, includes legends, naming
practices, tall tales, jokes, word play, games, poetry, customs, rituals, and
celebrations. For more examples of the heritage and folklore of Deaf people,
Jack Gannon's Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America (1981,
National Association of the Deaf) is an excellent resource.
Foreign language study necessarily involves learning about the values, world
view, and way of life -- the culture -- of a group of people. The same is true
for the study of ASL. ASL students learn about the rich cultural life of Deaf
people. Deaf culture is now recognized and studied by anthropologists,
ethnographers, folklorists, and others interested in culture and cross cultural
communication. One excellent description of Deaf culture is the recent book by
Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture
(1988, Harvard University Press). American Deaf Culture: An Anthology, by
Sherman Wilcox (Linstok Press, 1989), contains several articles presenting a
variety of perspectives on the language and culture of Deaf people in America.
Oliver Sacks' recent book, Seeing Voices (University of California Press,
1989) is an introduction to Deaf culture, ASL, and the struggle of Deaf people
to gain control of their individual and community identity.
The facts are overwhelming. ASL is a true human language fully distinct from
English with its own literature and culture. It is important to go beyond these
facts, however, and to ask whether, by offering ASL as a foreign language
option, we do students an injustice by steering them away from courses which
could be of more intellectual or economic value. Is ASL instruction a worthwhile
addition to the curriculum?
The answer clearly is "Yes -- absolutely!" One of the educational benefits of
foreign language study is that it gives students a fresh perspective on their
own language and culture. This is especially true of ASL. Applying linguistic
and anthropological methods to the study of ASL and Deaf culture is an excellent
intellectual exercise for students. It leaves them with a better understanding
of another people's language and customs, as well as a deeper appreciation of
their own language and culture.
We do not teach languages only for the intellectual rewards. There are also
practical, economic reasons for learning a foreign language. For example, our
nation's businesses need employees who can understand the language and customs
of foreign people. This might seem to work against ASL because it is not
associated with a foreign nationality. Again, the facts do not support such a
contention. For example, students in the bachelor of science degree program in
sign language interpreting at the University of New Mexico are regularly
recruited into competitive positions in business, education, and government.
Many students report that they take ASL specifically to make them better
qualified or more employable in non-deafness related careers. Those students who
want to continue their education at the graduate level find that a background in
ASL opens up several avenues for advanced study and research.
Finally, some might wonder whether offering ASL as a foreign language option
will cause a decline in enrollment in other foreign languages. The evidence from
those universities which accept ASL as a foreign language is precisely the
opposite. At these universities there is no record of a decrease in traditional
foreign language enrollment due to enrollments in ASL. As a matter of fact, ASL
instruction may lead to increased foreign language enrollment. ASL students
often report that they are more interested in other languages -- and indeed more
likely to take a traditional, spoken foreign language -- as a result of their
ASL study. The joy of learning a new language and of communicating with people
across cultural boundaries, it seems, is contagious!
Students who know a foreign language commonly find that their perceptions of
themselves and the world are richer than their monolingual peers. The study of a
language, culture, and literature different than their own propels students
beyond the limits of their own world. In all respects ASL affords students the
same challenges and rewards as more traditional foreign languages.
Copyright 1991 Sherman Wilcox
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Cultural
Lesson in Introducing Oneself
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It is important to know that Culturally the conversations
are around who you know in the Deaf Community and you and your
communication partner's connection with the Deaf Community.
When a
hearing person is meeting a Deaf person for the first time, they
must
1.
First and last name Questions asked in ASL: 1. You name what?
2. You Deaf/Hearing?
3. Learn sign where?
4. Teacher sign who?
When a
Deaf person is meeting someone for the first time, provide this
1.
First and last name Questions asked in ASL: 1. You name what?
2. You Deaf/Hearing?
3. You
school where?
4. You
know ___________________________?
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Florida Deaf Service Centers and Associations of/for the Deaf
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services of Pasco/Hernando
Port Richey, FL
(727) 816-1314/(800) 940-3323 v
(727) 816-1868/(800) 304-9219 tty
(800) 304-9895 (FTRI Equipment Distribution Program)
Deaf Service Center of Pinellas County
(Clearwater, St.Pete, Palm Harbor, Seminole)
7525-83rd Street N.
Seminole, FL 33777
(727) 545-5969 v/tty
Mailing address: P.O. Box 2730 Pinellas Park, FL 33780
Also provides a program with Pinellas County Schools for after-school care for
deaf children called P.E.A.C.H.
Deaf Service Center of Tampa Bay
8859 North Florida Avenue
(813) 933-4858 v/tty
Email:
Tampa@deafservicecenter.org
Deaf Service Center of Palm Beach County
(561) 802-3353 v/tty (Main Office)
(561) 278-6444 v (South County)
(561) 278-1444 tty (South County)
Email:
DSCPBC@aol.com
Florida Association of the Deaf
St. Augustine, Florida
Hearing Impaired Persons
24901 Sandhill Blvd. Ste.8
Port Charlotte, FL 33983
(941) 743-8347 v
(941) 743-9286 tty
(941) 743-9236 fax
Email:
carolmoyer@msn.com
Deaf Service Center of the Treasure Coast
2400 SE Midport Road, Suite 209
Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
(561) 335-5546 (v)
335-9966 (tty)
335-9733 (fax)
Email:
dsctc@bellsouth.net
Indian River County Office
First Baptist Church, Room 208
2206 16th Street A
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(561) 978-7779 v/tty (Thursdays 10 am to 2 pm)
Email:
verodsc@hotmail.com
Okeechobee County Office
Oakview Baptist Church
1735 SW 24th Ave. Okeechobee 34973
Mail: PO Box 91, Okeechobee, FL. 34973
(863) 357-3141 v/tty (Tues. and Thurs. 3:30 pm to 5 pm)
Email:
okeedsc@hotmail.com
Palm Beach County Association of the Deaf
3901 Davis Road
Lake Worth, FL 33461-3609
(561) 641-626 tty (during club hours)
Deaf & Hearing Services of Lake & Sumter Counties, Inc
420 W Main St
Leesburg, FL 34748-5123
(352) 323-0757 voice
(352) 323-0799 fax
(352) 323-9106 tty
Email:
info@deafandhearing.org
Deaf Experience Association, Inc.
Deaf community/advocacy center
1310 north main street, suite 103
Kissimmee, Fl. 34744
(407) 518-9050 v
(407) 815-9050 tty
Email:
deafexp@aol.com
Deaf Service Center of SW
Florida
2182 McGregor
Fort Myers, FL 33901
(941) 461-0334 v/tty
(941) 461-0434 fax
Email:
Jeannie Ware
The following list identifies the status of American Sign Language as a foreign language in each state. In most cases, the description has been quoted from the legislation or developed from information provided by the state commission on deafness or a state-level office that serves deaf and hard of hearing people. Asterisks identify the 28 states with such legislation. Each law is different. In some states the legislation affects elementary through university-level offerings; in others, sign language may be offered only in post secondary schools; in others elementary and secondary schools. In some cases, boards of education (state-or county-wide) or individual school districts have authority to approve credit for American Sign Language classes. Readers having specific questions regarding legislation must contact each state directly. This information is current as of April 2004.
| Alabama* | “Legislature of Alabama recognizes American Sign Language as the official and native language of Deaf people in Alabama.” American Sign Language is taught in several colleges and academic credit is granted. American Sign Language is taught in high schools on a limited basis. |
| Alaska* | If a course in American Sign Language is offered, the course shall be given credit as a foreign language. |
| Arkansas | A committee is in the process of drafting a proposal. Sign language classes are taught on a state-wide basis to state employees and American Sign Language is taught in several colleges and given credit on a limited basis. |
| Arizona | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. The University of Arizona accepts American Sign Language for foreign language credit. Other post-secondary programs and high schools also accept American Sign Language for foreign language credit. |
| California* | Effective July 1, 1988, high school students are required to complete a minimum number of courses in specified subjects in order to receive a high school diploma. This law provides that for the purposes of satisfying this requirement, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language. |
| Colorado | American Sign Language is recognized as a fully developed, autonomous, natural language with distinct grammar, syntax and art form. Several community colleges and universities offer American Sign Language for foreign language credit. |
| Connecticut* | American Sign Language is offered as a language arts course, provided such subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. |
| Delaware | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. The University of Delaware offers American Sign Language as a foreign language and grants academic credit. Delaware Technical and Community College offers certificate and diploma programs in ASL. |
| Florida* |
Effective
August 1, 1991, each student who is admitted to a state university must
have completed two credits of sequential foreign language at the
secondary level or the equivalent of such instruction at the
post-secondary level. Students shall be exempt from the provisions of
this subsection if they can demonstrate proficiency in American Sign
Language equivalent to that of students who have completed two credits
of such instruction in high school.
For the purposes of this section, American Sign Language constitutes a foreign language. Florida high schools may offer American Sign Language as a for-credit elective or as a substitute for any already authorized foreign language requirement. |
| Georgia* | American Sign Language has been accepted as a foreign language in limited circumstances: for deaf students as one unit elective credit; for other students as the thirds unit of foreign language credit. American Sign Language is taught in several colleges both for credit and non-credit. |
| Hawaii | American Sign Language as a foreign language has been proposed to the state legislature but did not pass. Schools do not offer academic credit for American Sign Language but will accept ASL as transfer units from other community colleges or universities. |
| Idaho | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. Some secondary schools recognize American Sign Language as a foreign language and offer academic credit. |
| Illinois* | American Sign Language is recognized as a foreign language for high school credit. This allows up to four years of class credits, and one year of credit for demonstrated proficiency. |
| Indiana* | American Sign Language is recognized as a standard, independent language. Schools may offer classes in American Sign Language as a first or second language for hearing, deaf or hard of hearing students and may award foreign language credit. State educational institutions may offer classes in ASL as a foreign language or part of another discipline and award credit for the courses to satisfy a requirement for the study of a foreign language or another discipline. |
| Iowa* | A law enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa stipulates that instruction in American Sign Language shall be in addition to and not in lieu of, provision of instruction in other foreign languages. Foreign language means spoken and written languages other than the English language, and includes American Sign Language. This relates to the teaching of American Sign Language in accredited schools. |
| Kansas* | The state legislature passed a bill stating that American Sign Language is recognized by the state of Kansas as a language. The state board of education shall provide for the teaching of American Sign Language in accredited schools and all students whether hearing or hearing impaired may be given instruction in American Sign Language. Any state educational institution may offer an elective course in American Sign Language. Students enrolled at any of the state educational institutions which offer a course in American Sign Language may enroll in such course and with the concurrence of the state educational institution may count credit received for the course toward satisfaction of foreign language requirement of the institution. |
| Kentucky* | If a course in American Sign Language is offered by a state university or community college, it shall be accepted as foreign language credit. Successful completion of any American Sign Language course in the common schools shall satisfy the foreign language entrance requirements for a state institution of higher education. |
| Louisiana* | Any public high school shall offer instruction in a course in American Sign Language as an elective course provided a sufficient number of students desire to enroll in such course. Any public high school offering a course in American Sign Language shall provide instruction to any pupil wishing to participate in such course. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish by rule criteria for each parish or city school board to determine whether a sufficient number of students desire a course in American Sign Language and shall develop appropriate procedures for submittal of such determinations by any parish or city school board wishing to offer such instruction. The board shall prescribe suitable teaching materials for the instruction and provide for teacher qualifications. American Sign Language shall mean a visual language which has emerged from the Deaf Culture and is composed of handshapes, movement, and body and facial expression, and possesses an identifiable syntax and grammar specific to visual languages which incorporates spatial relationships as a linguistic factor. |
| Maine* | American Sign Language is the official state language of the deaf community. Each school administrative unit may offer American Sign Language as a foreign Language and offer credit at the elementary and secondary levels. |
| Maryland | County boards of education in the State are authorized to give academic credit for the study of American Sign Language. University system of Maryland currently accepts American Sign Language as a foreign language. |
| Massachusetts* | In all public elementary and secondary schools, American Sign Language shall be recognized as a standard, independent language with its own grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and cultural heritage. Courses in American Sign Language may be taught for the purpose of contributing to a greater understanding of the social and cultural dimensions of the language, and to encourage and enable increased interaction between hearing persons and deaf and hard of hearing persons in society. School committees may credit such courses toward satisfaction of foreign language requirements. |
| Michigan* | The board of a school district may grant high school credit in a foreign language to a pupil enrolled in high school who has satisfactorily completed a high school course offered in American Sign Language or who has attained proficiency in American Sign Language outside of a public or private high school curriculum. |
| Minnesota | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. However, some secondary and post-secondary programs recognize American Sign Language as a foreign language and grant academic credit. Foreign languages are determined by individual school districts. |
| Mississippi | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. However, some post-secondary programs offer American Sign Language for credit and some public high schools also offer ASL as a credit course (1 Carnegie unit). |
| Missouri | A committee has begun discussions with the state department of elementary and secondary education regarding recognition of ASL as a language to meet foreign language requirements. |
| Montana* | A joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives urging the Board of Education and the Board of Public Education to recognize American Sign Language as a separate and complete language and to authorize teaching ASL as part of the public school and university system curriculum passed all committees involved in hearings during January and February of 1995. The resolution was adopted February 1, 1995. |
| Nebraska | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. Students may take American Sign Language at community colleges and post-secondary programs and receive credit. |
| Nevada * | American Sign Language is recognized in the state legislature as a foreign language. American Sign Language is offered and accepted as a foreign language to fulfill high school and post-secondary language requirements. |
| New Hampshire | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. However, some high schools and colleges offer American Sign Language and give academic credit. |
| New Jersey* | The New Jersey State Assembly and Senate passed resolutions in 1995 recognizing American Sign Language and Deaf Culture, and urging the State's institutions of higher education and local school districts to award foreign language credit for the completion of American Sign Language course. Senate Resolution (SR-80) passed 12 December 1995. Assembly Resolution (AR-103) passed 2 May 1995. |
| New Mexico | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. When American Sign Language is offered at the university and post-secondary level, students receive academic credit. |
| New York* | Elementary and secondary schools offer instruction in American Sign Language for second language credit. Students will earn credits to meet second language requirements upon graduation and higher education institutions will be encouraged to establish teacher training programs in American Sign Language. |
| North Carolina | American Sign Language as an official language has not been proposed to the state legislature. Some secondary programs offer American Sign Language and grant academic credit. |
| North Dakota | American Sign Language as a foreign language has never been proposed to the state legislature. However, American Sign Language is accepted as a foreign language state-wide and academic credit is given in school. |
| Ohio* |
American
Sign Language is recognized as a foreign language, and any public or
chartered non-public school may offer a course in American Sign
Language. A student who successfully completes a course in American Sign
Language is entitled to receive credit for that course toward
satisfaction of a foreign language requirement of the public or
chartered nonpublic school where the course is offered.
American Sign Language is hereby recognized as a foreign language, and any state institution of higher education may offer a course in American Sign Language. An undergraduate student who successfully completes a course in American Sign Language is entitled to receive credit for that course toward satisfaction of an undergraduate foreign language requirement of the state institution of higher education where the course is offered. |
| Oklahoma* | American Sign Language is hereby recognized as a language and may be taught in the public schools of the state in educational programs for both hearing and deaf students. Academic credit will be granted for courses in American Sign Language. |
| Oregon | The Oregon State Board of Education passed a recommendation to accept American Sign Language as a language in Oregon's public schools. Students in public schools will be able to take ASL classes and demonstrate competence, thereby completing the second language requirement for the Certificate of Mastery. |
| Pennsylvania | A proposal is currently pending in the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. It states that: Every secondary school, both public and private, established and maintained in this Commonwealth may offer courses in sign language to all interested students to be taught as an elective course for credit. |
| Rhode Island* | American Sign Language is recognized by Rhode Island Public Law 96-151 signed on August 7, 1996 "...as a fully developed, autonomous, natural language with its own distinct grammar, syntax, vocabulary and cultural heritage." Students in elementary, secondary, and higher education systems will soon be able to use coursework in ASL as a credit toward satisfaction of a foreign language course requirement. |
| South Carolina* | Section 59-17-120 amends the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding: The board of trustees of a school district may grant credit as an elective to a pupil who satisfactorily has completed a high school course in American Sign Language. |
| South Dakota* | American Sign Language is hereby recognized as a language. Any high school may offer American Sign Language as a for-credit elective pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education. The teaching of American Sign Language is encouraged at the elementary level. Any post-secondary educational institution controlled by the State Board of Regents may offer an elective course in American Sign Language according to policy adopted by the Board of Regents. |
| Tennessee* | American Sign Language is recognized as a language. Educational programs are encouraged to offer American Sign Language for academic credit. |
| Texas* | American Sign Language is recognized as a language, and any public school may offer an elective course in American Sign Language. For the purpose of satisfying any requirement in the public schools for two units of study in another language, a course in American Sign Language may be deemed another language. |
| Utah* | Senate Bill 42, passed in 1994, provides that American Sign Language shall be accorded equal status with other linguistic systems in the State's public and higher education systems; and directing the State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents to develop and implement policies and procedures for the teaching of American Sign Language in their respective states. |
| Vermont* | American Sign Language I recognized as a foreign language as of 2003. American Sign Language will fulfill student’s foreign language requirements in high school and college. |
| Virginia* | House Joint Resolution No. 228 was agreed to by the 1996 Virginia General Assembly. The resolution requests public schools and public and private institutions of higher education in Virginia to recognize American Sign Language course work for foreign language credit. |
| Washington* | Pursuant to any foreign language requirement established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American Sign Language shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district foreign language graduation requirement. Minimum admission standards will be established for four-year institutions, including a requirement that coursework in American Sign Language shall satisfy any foreign language requirement the board or the institution may establish as a general undergraduate admissions requirement. |
| West Virginia* | American Sign Language as a foreign language was proposed and passed during the Seventy-First legislature (1994). Fairmont State College offers American Sign Language for academic credit. |
| Wisconsin | State law AB 336 states that American Sign Language is recognized as a foreign language. School boards in individual districts may grant foreign language credit to a pupil who successfully completes a course in American Sign Language. |
| Wyoming | American Sign Language has never been proposed to the state legislature. The University of Wyoming offers American Sign Language for academic credit which fulfills the foreign language requirement and is also accepted by the Graduate School. At this time some community colleges offer ASL for credit but this does not fulfill the foreign language requirement. This may change within the next year. |
My family knew that I was deaf When I was only three, and since then fifteen years ago Have never signed to me. I know when I'm around the house, I try and use my voice, It makes them feel more comfortable; For me, I have no choice. I try, communicate their way- Uncomfortable for me. My parents wouldn't learn sign Ashamed or apathy? I never cared about the sound of radios and bands; What hurts me most is, I never heard My parents' signing hands.
-Stephen J. Bellitz
Reprinted from Senior News, July 1991
It means "sh-h-h-h." 
I Love You
This deaf person is
using an oral interpreter so he can follow the discussion of the
different speakers on the stage.
