Letter to Carleton University: ASL instructor

Great letter. We, at ALSO, fully support the hiring of Deaf instructors for the ASL classes as well as a minimum language requirement. In addition, we would be very interested in exploring a conversation about deaf children and their families with respect to access to ASL learning in early childhood.

Teaching a language communicatively, requires proficiency and cultural understanding, made especially important in the acquisition of a sole language.

How can a university of the caliber of Charleston provide excellence in education without strong modeling of socially just action. Please re-think your hiring activities.

I cannot believe that this practise is continuing in any of our educational instituions.

I couldn't agree more with the need for proficiency. There would never be a french instructor hired without absolute proficiency, and most french instructors that I have met, french is their first language. Maximum proficiency = best learning for the students. There are so many educated deaf persons that are qualified. I am sure the students would rather learn the language from one of those educated deaf persons.

People learn best from people speaking their own language.

I hope Carleton University will review its polcy on hiring nondeaf individuals to teach ASL classes. I have been a teacher in NL to various students and I know and recognize the need all students have in ordr to learn effectively. Teachers need to be properly qualified

I can imagine the process of hiring is based on ignorance when it comes to hiring instructors to teach ASL at Carlton University. But that’s a sad commentary on any university. Carlton has this statement on its website: “we promote equity, diversity and human rights”. Unfortunately, this does not appear to extend to deaf people. Please do your research!

The fact that a non-Deaf person who is not proficient in ASL would apply for an ASL teaching position, proves that person is not culturally appropriate or respectful of the Deaf community generally and qualified Deaf ASL professionals. This is a typical case of discrimination and it needs to stop. Instead of discriminating against Deaf professionals, Carlton University could be working with them to ensure their students receive quality education from qualified faculty.

As canada is example of inclusive society for other world, i join the petition to call for hiring deaf trainer. Deaf trainer is often better for deaf.

I wholly support it!

Yes I need the job.

Support to Deaf instructors to teach...Not hearing person...

As Co-Director of ASL Teachers of Ontario, I support this letter in whole. Carlton University should be hiring qualified native language Deaf ASL instructors. It is 2019!

I support deaf rights to hiring deaf professor for ASL classes, I disagree with that hearing person hired for that position

Make that change

Deaf with Dignity

Justice and opportunity for one group should be consistently extended to every other. Having a disability is dependent on the analytical lens one uses. I would say these individuals who are so qualified should have the opportunity to be hired.

This is the year of indigenous languages. In the same spirit Carleton University should appreciate ASL as the language of the Deaf and hire Deaf people to teach it. Shame! Academic institutions should be a leaders in progressive and inclusive hiring.

This is a well stated challenge to Carleton University from people who represent deaf culture and their language. I fully support the policy of hiring native ASL signers to teaching positions for the benefit of deaf and hearing students. The practice of giving teaching opportunities to hearing people demonstrates the current tendency in universities of hiring people more like the current faculty ie hearing, which makes life easier for faculty and staff who aren't interested in learning ASL. Its time we started authentically listening to the voices of those marginalized in society - this would include all students and the deaf community.