We, the students and supporters of American Sign Language, urge the Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee to solidify the ASL program and foster an environment for ASL students and the Deaf community that reflects the desire of this university to become more inclusive. Iowa State prides itself on working towards a more diverse campus, and what better way to become more inclusive and continue to set Iowa State apart from other universities than to offer an ASL minor.

American Sign Language is a complex, beautiful, and unique language. According to Modern Language Association’s statistics, ASL is the fourth most studied modern and foreign language at colleges and universities in the U.S. In addition to this, it has a higher percent of enrollment than the three languages ahead of it. Like any other language, American Sign Language isn’t just about the language itself, but the rich culture embedded in it as well.

Rita Mae Brown once said, “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.”

The goals of this petition are to:

1. To spread awareness of the need an American Sign Language minor, as it would serve to tear down the language barrier between the hearing world and Deaf world, amongst many other things.
2. To recognize the respect and value that the Deaf community and culture deserves.
3. To help continue to set Iowa State apart from other universities by offering a more diverse campus and promoting inclusion.