We, the undersigned, believe that Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan should include American Sign Language under the Foreign Language Program, and allow ASL to be taken for Foreign Language credits. ASL is currently under WMU'S Speech and Pathology and Audiology Department, school of communication disorders and disabilities, supporters of speech and hearing "correction," and the belief in a "treatment for deafness," where the deaf are grouped with autism, stroke victims, cerebral palsy, paralysis, cleft palate, and more.

American Sign Language is the third most widely used language in the United States, in which manual gestures, facial expressions, and body position are used to convey meaning. It is NOT signed English. ASL has it's own syntax and grammatical structure. The Deaf community is a true minority culture, they DO NOT want or need to be "fixed" or "corrected," only accepted. The Deaf community views deafness as a difference in human experience, NOT a disability. There is overwhelming evidence that deaf students do better when taught in deaf schools and use ASL as their primary language. Over 160 colleges in Michigan accept ASL as a Foreign Language, this continues to grow today.

For more information visit the National Association of the Deaf.

Links